Snow Pearl
by PhoenixBlade
Summary: I hate him...He took away all I held dear and stripped me of my innocence. He made me into this weapon and the one to warm his bed at night. I hate him. He'll pay, he'll pay dearly. Till then, I'll lay in his bed, and when the time comes, I'll kill him.
1. Chapter 1

Hey, this story's actually been out for a while, but I'm actually re-editing and maybe re-doing some of the chapters. Anywho, if you've read this story before, cool. Welcome back! If not, well, welcome to my hardest fanfic that I've had trouble coming back to, but other than that, thanks for giving this fanfic a try.

I had edited chapters that I wanted to put up before, but my laptop crashed on me so after going into a fit of depression, I finally got back on my feet to go back to the beginning and try editing again. So, this'll be a while, but I'll try to get the editing done and the story back on track. Thanks for reading and for all the support from those who have read this before!

Remember the double R's! Read and review! Enjoy the story!

* * *

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter One**_

_By: PhoenixBlade_

* * *

Disclaimer: Inuyasha and company do not belong to me. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi, Viz and other people who have rights to it. I have nada, nothing, zip, zero. I do, however, own this story so please don't steal it. This refers to every chapter from hereon out, the whole story itself, got that?

Also, there is rape...sex...bad language...physical and mental abuse of some kind and graphic violence. Be prepared (and of age please!) before you continue reading!

* * *

_Skin on skin..._

His hot sweat slick body slid well across mine like silk as he made his achingly slow thrusts into me deriving a rush of pleasure and small excited moans from me.

_Heat upon heat…_

His motion began to quicken a little as he grinded his chest against my bare breasts in attempts to place more heated pressure to heighten our slow dance with each others bodies.

_Flesh onto flesh…_

His hands slid from my hips up to my waist, around my breasts after a light squeeze and found themselves entwined around my fingers. His quickened thrusts turned into rapid pumping as he sought to find his own taste of blissful heaven.

_Pain onto pain…_

His pounding brought onto me multiple orgasms from the pain and pleasure of his rough stabbing in between my legs. There was a brief smell of blood in the air but that didn't matter. A little blood would be enough to bring on his beast.

_Blood onto blood…_

His eyes had bled red as his enlarge penis pumped into me with incredibly inhuman speed, but that was what he was… inhuman.

_Beast onto beast..._

I screamed, it felt like he was splitting me in two with his engorged weapon pounding ruthlessly into my vagina. It hurt like hell… but I liked it. My legs around his waist tightened wanting that roughness as he moved to and fro. The beast growled low, enjoying my submissiveness to him, but he knew it, he was the dominant one especially in bed.

_Unleash the rush of ecstasy…_

After a very hard and deep thrust, I screamed again and released my seventh orgasm for the night. My lover though, had yet to find his desired peak of eternal bliss as he pistoned himself into me relentlessly seeking it. His grip on my fingers tightened.

_Let the flood of pleasure flow…_

He snarled, almost reaching that peak. In one deep, final thrust, seeking my warmth, my pain, my pleasures and my loyalty to him, he let loose a howl of contentment and satisfaction as his seed poured into my womb in a rush. He collapsed on top of me not mindful of his weight on me even though he was heavier than I, but he knew, I was not weak. His hold on me loosened. His breaths came in deep and short on my shoulder where his face rested between. He was pleased.

_And the beast will be calmed…_

Gradually, his panting slowed down to regular breathing, deep and silent. For a second, I thought him to be asleep and I would have done so too, but the feeling of our juices trickling down my womanhood and his limp wet penis wedged between my thighs kept me conscious.

_Satiated and content, he shall sleep…_

We stayed like that for a while, wet and stinking of sweat, our saliva and our cum.

_Until his beast returns once again…_

Suddenly, something wet trailed up the junction between my shoulder and my neck. A slight grazing of fangs told me that he was definitely not asleep. A brush of lips along my jawline told me he was getting hungry. A lick round my ear and a slight nibble on the flesh of my lobe revealed to me what he wanted to do.

_Desiring to satisfy his hunger and his lust once again…_

He lifted his head away from my head and looked down on me with his clear amber eyes, eyes filled with a need. A slight smirk spread across his lovely lips. His member hardened and engorged itself in my entire chamber making me gasped softly. He chuckled deeply but quietly. He was ready to do our dance again.

"Watashi no chiisai na shinju…" he whispered seductively with heavy-lidded eyes.

I felt my walls tighten around his length as he grinded himself into me, making me wince from our previous actions. I was wet and ready for him again. I wanted him just as well. He leaned down and gave me a soul-searing kiss, one that involved tonguing, lots of saliva, blood and fangs. He was always one for blood and pain.

I whimpered as he pulled away. His hands slid down my body, caressing my smooth skin along the way before setting them down on my hips and raising them to meet his body. He began moving his hips back and forth again. The sounds of two wet bodies filled the night with moans of pleasure and noises too complicated to tell if it was two animals in heat fucking each other or not.

He was beautiful, from his pale muscled body to his fluid movements in lovemaking. He was perfect… and I _hated _him.

* * *

watashi no chiisai na shinju – my little pearl

many thanks to inuyasha-n-kagome-rox for the correction


	2. Chapter 2

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Two**_

_By PhoenixBlade_

* * *

_Cry to me my little waterfall,_

_Shed thy tears of crimson fear,_

_Unleash the truth of thy pains,_

_For they are what you hold dear…_

* * *

How long ago had it been since he had taken me into his bed? About six years… Six excruciatingly long years of his seductive touches, of blood and gore and of killing myself slowly everyday. I could remember the day clearly, the day my life was ruined, when everyone and everything had been taken so cruelly away from me…

* * *

_(thinking back to her past)_

* * *

I was young, gods was I so young and naïve! I believed that the world was a perfect little heaven made of sweets and puffy white clouds. I was barely a woman, yet no longer a child. I was fourteen.

The day had been bright, sunny, not a cloud in sight. It had been a beautiful day. So beautiful…

I lived in a small village with my mother and younger brother Souta. My brother Souta had been begging me to take him fishing at the pond that day. I had refused him, wanting to save time for Kaede-sensei in case she needed me if Mariko's baby decided to come out. Shortly after I pried him off of me, Kaede-sensei stormed into my house frantically looking for me to assist her. I was right; Kaede-sensei had needed me. Mariko's baby had wanted to see the world that day. I remembered Kaede-sensei telling me, "My, what a fine day to be born! The skies are clear and the day looks healthy. This is a good omen!"

She was the old priestess of the village and her wisdom and fortune-telling was better than anyone else that I had known… even though I didn't know many. I had just started as her disciple, seeing as to how her fortune-telling had told me that I would become a powerful priestess of the village, how could I refuse? She sent me to gather herbs from the forest, mindful that I carry something to protect me in case something dangerous happened to be afoot. I quickly grabbed my satchel and stuck a small knife in there before running off into the forest. I remember looking up to the sky and thinking, "This is a REALLY fine day to be born on." And what a fine day it would be, very fine indeed…

By the time I had reached the forest, the skies had suddenly become cloudy and dark, warning that something ominous was about to happen. I decided to ignore it, thinking that the sudden dreary weather would pass. However, it did not. By the time I finished picking what Kaede-sensei needed, I began to head back to the village. A strange and foreboding feeling crept down my back as a sudden chill in the air breathed fear into me. I broke into a run back to the village.

The skies were impossibly darker and cloudier and I could see something rising from the direction of where my village was. Dark clouds of smoke. Fire! I could remember the beating of my heart, the fear that held my voice down from screaming, the anxious hope that all was well there… but it was not.

Before long, I was standing before a burning village, nothing left standing save for the pathetically standing wall of a few houses that remained disobedient to the flames that had torched them. At that moment, I had wanted to die. I threw my satchel down and fell to my knees in a flood of my own tears.

"Gods! Why? How could you do this to them? How could you do this to me? Why didn't you take me with them? Why?" I screamed to the sky wanting an answer.

We had done no wrong, we were good people. Everyone was content and at peace with each other. There were no more wars; everyone was fine, weren't they? Weren't they!?

"Why won't you answer me?" I cried.

The gods had turned the other ear. They ignored me, gave me nothing, no words of comfort, no relief from the pain that was gripped my heart, no death sentence, just silence, save for the crackling of fire and the blowing of the wind.

A voice broke through the silence, the last voice I heard before I felt something heavy slam into my face, "Your god is dead, ningen."

A strong, large hand connected and I was down in a matter of moments, succumbing to the darkness.

When I awoke, I had been thrown ruthlessly to the ground. The ground was leafy, flat and cold. There was something strange in the air. Bells rung at the back of my head warning me that there was danger, all aroundme. I shook my head, unsure if the hit from before had thrown off my senses. Before I got my bearings straight, I touched the ground to make sure that it was in fact real and not a dream.

"Not a dream, but a nightmare…"

I looked up to the speaker and gasped.

Youkai!

He had red hair and a dangerous glow to his face. His clothes billowed to the small yet chilly breeze that clung on to the air. He narrowed his eyes down on me and I gulped, afraid for my life. He sniffed and I knew he could tell that I was scared. He smirked, revealing a pointy fang that promised dark things. I shivered uncomfortably at the thought of it.

"My lord needs release, little girl. It is his time of the month and there are no females in this area to save his dignity except you. Be glad that it is he who has spared your life this far and will take you in his arms rather than his lowly servants," he told me in a dangerous tone of voice.

Take… me?

I didn't know what he meant at the time, but I would soon learn within moments what it was. I was dumb, unlearned in the ways of when men and women joined together to conceive children. Kaede-sensei shared little for she had been celibate all her life and mother shared very little, saying that it had not been my time yet. I was so young and so foolish...

There was a howl suddenly, and the falling of trees in the forest. I grew scared, VERY scared.

"Ah, here he comes. I will make my exit now for he does not like an audience. Farewell young one, pray to whatever shred of hope that remains in you that you will see a better afterlife," and with that he disappeared into the shadows of the trees.

Though my miko power at that time was weak and barely trained, I felt an uncomfortably strong power faintly nipping at my skin. I shivered and held onto myself as if to shield me from the cold even though it was supposed to be a hot summer day. It was then that I realized how eerily quiet the forest had become as if each creature held its breath in hopes that whatever was lurking in the forest would let them live to see another day.

Then I had heard it, something coming swiftly yet silently through the underbrush. I didn't like it. Bells were jarring in my head and my alert signal was muddling up every other sane thought that I had. My first instinct was to run, run as far away as possible from the danger. I took the initiative and did so. I ran, ran as fast as my small feet could take me. I ignored all the branches that whacked at my face and ground obstacles that I stumbled over.

A howl tore through the night, almost distracting me enough to forget to put one foot in front of the other. I turned to look back for a second and caught a flash of white. I gasped between pants and tripped over an overturn root. I was in the air for a second before I hit the ground, upsetting the leaves into the air around me. I started to scramble to my feet, but the howl from before came again, only this time, it was very, very close.

I felt it; whatever had done the howling was now just within the shadows of the trees. I crawled backwards in an attempt to escape, but felt the woody surface of a large tree against the small of my back. I bit down on my lips as tears began forming in my eyes and stared at the darkness before me. I could feel an enormous amount of power coming from straight ahead of me. I knew it was large, because I could faintly see its dark silhouette among the clearing of the trees.

Fear permeated all my senses, shutting down all rational thoughts of escape, and freezing my legs where they were. Day had quickly turned to night, obstructing my vision as darkness filled out every crevice and corner. I fought the urge to cry and bit down on my lips even more to keep from crying out. I tasted blood not soon after.

A snapping of twigs turned my attention back to the creature in the dark. What I saw come into my line of sight was not what I had expected. I was so sure that it was some large animal that was hunting for food, but what stood before me was breathtaking. It, or rather, he (I was pretty sure it was a he) was a vision of beauty, but that was all that he was, beautiful. He took several steps towards me, giving me a better look at him as he now stood within clear view

He had long white hair, soft and almost shimmering like water in the moon's glow. His skin was pale, delicate and smooth. It made me want to stand up and touch his face, run my fingers across his beautiful lips and down his body. Covering his body, he wore a white silk kimono with large billowing pants decorated with red sakura blossoms along the arm sleeves. On one side of his shoulder was a large furry thing that looked soft and comfortable. He had on a spiked armor that was tied with a yellow sash and to his side were two swords, one with darkness emanating from it. Despite that, it didn't stop me from wanting to touch him.

I looked up to his eyes and sorely wished I hadn't. They were a clear gold color, strong and proud. When I looked upon those eyes, I saw anger in them, desperation and something else, something I hadn't known what it was back then. If only I had known, I would have been smart and killed myself on the spot, but I was curious, listening to what my hormones were telling me to do, stay still and find out. If I had been older and more mature, it would have saved me from a lot of trouble back then.

His eyes were so dark and unsettling, intense and strong. It was lust and desire. I didn't know it, but that was what I was to him at that moment, something to desirable. I was dumb, and naïve, letting nature play out its course for me. My family's death escaped my head the moment he took a step forward... and another…and another until he was before me and I had to crank my head up to look at him. I feared him, yes, but strangely enough, a part of me liked it, making me more afraid.

He stood so still as if he was trying to hold himself back from doing something rash and wild, his breaths coming out in unusually quick pants. I stopped thinking when he leaned down and brushed his lips on my cheek. I squeezed my eyes shut and exhaled, not knowing that I had held my breath for so long. He chuckled deeply and I snapped my eyes open just as he licked at my lips, or rather, the blood that was flowing from my lips. It was sensual at first, long strokes of his wet tongue lapping away at my blood from my lips down to my neck. I whimpered when he nipped at my neck.

I felt his hands move lay on my knees, spreading them apart. He moved in, pressing his body up against my small frame and I could feel something hard and thick poke at my abdomen. His face brushed against my shoulders and rested itself in my hair, inhaling all that I had to offer to him. Though curious as I was as to what it was, when his hands began to travel up my body and cupped my unusually large, but still growing breasts, reality snapped back in. What was he doing!?

I jumped and began struggling. His hands gripped onto my breasts harder, making them hurt. He pressed his body into me hard enough that I could barely breathe. I started thrashing about, flailing my free arms and trying to push him off of me. It was like trying to move a boulder, his body was hard like steel though smooth to the touch, but he did not moving. He growled sharply against my neck and I stopped. It was inhuman and wild-like. I had forgotten that he was not a ningen because of his beastly form I had spied earlier. I knew what he was now, a youkai!

I threw my arms down onto his arms and pressed my fingernails hard into his skin and pushed. He snarled at me and I screamed. That had undone him. He pulled his head back and bared his teeth at me. I saw his beautiful amber eyes bleed into blood red and I screamed in his face again. My hands found its way to his chest and I pushed, pushed as hard as I could to get him off of me. He bared fangs at me and I paled, felt my arms grow weak and my hands go numb.

He squeezed my breasts with such brutality that I thought he would rip them off, but he didn't, instead, he grabbed the edges of my yukata and ripped off the upper half that covered my body. I screamed and struggled to get away. He pulled me back and pressed me down on the ground underneath him. I screamed again and slapped him. He didn't like that. Snarling louder this time, he slapped me back. It was quick and hard, almost as if someone had hit me with a stone pot. It took the wind out of me and I was limp as a noodle for the rest of the night.

He grabbed the rest of my clothes and tore them off until I was completely naked. I was vulnerable and helpless and I couldn't do a damn thing about it. To make sure I wouldn't try to slap him again or throw a punch, he undid his sash and used it to tie my hands together. After securing that, he placed them over my head so that it could no longer cover the essentials. My plump breasts were bare to the night and my nipples were stiff and erect from the cold.

I still struggled after I recovered, but he straddled me so I couldn't kick him. He stared at my breasts as his clawed hands began to stroke and fondled my breasts in harsh ways that I never wanted a man to do. It was shameful and humiliating. His touches were harsh and painful. He made large cuts between my breasts, across my abdomen, on my thighs and my buttocks, everywhere where his hands and fangs touched. It hurt so much, but I could do nothing about it while he cut my skin and licked the blood off like food.

I screamed and he gagged me with what remained of his sash. Tears fell from my eyes, but I refused to cry. I stared up into the sky as he took off his armor and his clothes until he was as nude as I was. I looked back down at him as he got off me. Something large and thick stood erected from his skin. I was scared of it. What was that thing? His hands went to my knees and I shut my legs, refusing to allow him entry. He pried my legs apart in my motion, ripping muscles in the process.

I choked back on a scream. I started to struggle again. Though I had no idea what he was going to do with that part of his body, I didn't want him to do anything with it to me either. Red lights were flashing in my eyes and bells were again ringing fiercely in my head. The woman inside of me knew what was happening and was warning me of what was to come, pain. I didn't want it… but it came.

It was so quick that I hadn't noticed it at first, he plunged his… thing in between my legs and when he broke through my virginity, I screamed, screamed like he was killing me and it was like that. I felt like I was dying. I started thrashing about, but he pinned me down with his body as he pump in and out of me quickly, bruising the inside of me with his cock. I screamed and screamed every time he dove back in, but was muffled from the gag. I threw my head from side to side. He was tearing me up inside!

It hurt like hell. I struggled until my strength let out and laid still while he drove in and out of me with hard brutal thrusts that could tear me in two. As I began to fall into unconscious, his pants and grunts would kept me awake a moment longer. His thrusting, though inhumanly fast, pistoned into me faster and I knew this part of the joining dance that my mother had told me about. He was going to spill his seed into me. With one more thrust, he dug deeply into me and howled. I could feel our juices trickling down my legs, blood being most of it. I could smell it. It belonged to me.

He stayed inside of me as I felt myself falling away into the darkness and I welcomed it…so much. It didn't help much to know that before I cursed the gods and my life before falling into that darkness, he desired to screw me again when his manhood grew to its full length within me.

_Damn you…_

* * *

youkai - demon

ningen - human

miko - priestess


	3. Chapter 3

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Three**_

_By PhoenixBlade_

* * *

_(still thinking back to her past)_

* * *

I drifted back to consciousness still in the darkness of the trees and night. I saw my rapist lying beside me with a conceited smirk upon his beautiful lips. I scowled at him.

He spoke, "You have… pleasured me much with your body tonight, _ningen_. Do not spoil the moment."

He made the emphasis on ningen to show my inferiority to his supreme and pristine self. I gave him my best death glare. At that moment, I hated him more than anything in the world; he killed my family and friends, my home and my innocence. He would pay dearly…

He narrowed his eyes at me and I feared it, but did not flinch. There was only so much that I could feel at the moment, fear was a big part of it, but my hatred of him overwhelmed me more than anything.

"You are not like other ningens…miko," he said.

"I'm going to kill you," I spat at him.

I assumed that he would laugh and taunt me, say that I was pathetic and weak. I was a ningen after all, but instead, his face kept the serious look.

"You are serious?" it was more of a statement than a question.

"I will see to it that you will die by me," I vowed.

We had a staring contest for a long span of moments before he spoke again, "Very well then, I shall see to it that you do."

I was taken back by this, "What?"

He sat up and looked at the dark sky, "I am…interested in you and your abilities. It would be a shame if you were to die without using them. I will see to it that you only get the best to train under."

I was unsure at the moment, but cautious in case he was jesting with me.

"Don't play with me, _youkai_," I hissed at him.

He narrowed his eyes on me again, "I do not lie, _girl_."

He got up and started to walk around to pick up his clothes. I didn't even notice that he and I were still nude. I watched him walk with confidence, without a care in the world save for his own needs, one who thought more of himself in an un-narcissistically way.

"Why the esteemed honor, _your highness_?"

He paused while tying the strings on his pants and looked at me with a tint of annoyance in his eyes.

"Are you mocking me?"

I rose up and stalked over to him. It was probably a death wish, but I didn't care. I stood before him and looked into his eyes with all the courage that I could muster, but all I could think about was killing him. The man was the whole of my hatred.

"Am I, _your majesty_?"

He must have seen something in my eyes to say what he said next.

He looked at me for bit and smirk, "You intrigue me, girl."

"Do I intrigue you enough to let me kill you?"

He smirked, "Yes."

Through clenched teeth I spoke each word strongly with as much anger and hatred that I had in me, "I… hate… you..."

He raised an eyebrow as if he didn't care.

We were silent for moment, letting a gentle breeze blow past us.

He blinked and turned back to his pants strings, "I will take that as a yes."

I grabbed his hands and made him look at me.

"I will kill you, youkai. Know that."

He smirked and my hands dropped away from his as his dropped from the strings.

"We will see, my little snow pearl… we will see…"

His hands found their way to the side of my face and gently moved my face to the side as he exposed my bare neck to his eyes. I closed my eyes as I felt is lips touch the junction where my shoulder met my neck. With a silent brush of lips, a graze of fangs there, he bit down slowly, letting the blood flow into his mouth and down my skin. I winced from the pain, but knew that this would ensure the silent agreement that we made here tonight. The gods no longer existed for me, but I did. I would exist, but not as the me from before because that part had died earlier that night…I had been reborn for one sole purpose… to kill him.

* * *

_(now back to present)_

* * *

I made a noise, close to the scream of an animal, as he fucked me hard and fast. I lifted my hips a little to help him gain better access. He grounded deep in me before he pulled back out, almost all the way out and came back down, grinding me to the hilt and repeat. I squeaked as he bit down on a nipple. I grabbed a fistful of his hair and pushed his head farther down, letting him take as much of my breast into his mouth. His fingers dug into my skin, enough that it bled a little to compliment the pleasure he was taking from my body. His pace began to take on more speed, as if it hadn't already, and pounded into me with such roughness that it felt like he was trying to dig our bodies into a hole in the ground.

I reveled in his heat, in his touches, in his body. I rode the waves of our lovemaking, enjoying all that he had to give. Six years ago, he had taken from me all that I cherished and held dear to my heart. Six years later today, he offered me the position of being his right-hand man, the first ningen, female and miko to have ever taken in youkai military and politics. I had to fight for my place, but to do that, I had to train hard. In two years time, I had mastered the arts of being a miko and a fighter. I had trained personally under my lord and under a powerful miko turned rogue.

I kill all the ones who kicked me down and spat at me for being ningen. I defeated all the ones who now resented me for winning my current position. I destroyed many of my lord's enemies. I assassinated major heads in the game of politics. I brought him victory after victory. Most of all, I shared his bed at night. I saved his dignity and the time for him to fuck some random female to satisfy his body when in heat. I alone, held all his secrets from the world… and he… he held nothing for me save himself, for I would be the one to kill him. I made sure that I would not die until I saw him die in front of me. We made an agreement long ago that would ensure this.

My back automatically arched on its own as I writhed in pleasure. There was a sloshing sound, our wet hips ramming against one another as our sweaty bodies caressed each other in the most secretive and erotic places. We were on the edge, about to come any second now. I would win this time; I would make him come before me. It was our little game of dominance, see who would come before the other. I had not won a single night for six years.

I felt his breaths over the mark on my neck and he lightly grazed his fangs on it.

"N-no f-fair!" I panted.

He chuckled as he pressed his chest to mine, still thrusting like a wild animal into me. I balled his hair into my fist and pulled his head back from my neck making him growl but he retaliated by slipping a finger in between our bodies and lightly caressed me down there.

I gasped and arched back even more, "B-bastard!"

He smirked again in my face and returned to my neck and licked there. I could feel it now, I was coming either way…and I did when he pinched my nipple, tightening the knot in my stomach in between caressing my jewel and licking my neck.

"Sesshoumaru!" I screamed.

A rush of fire, flowing heat rushed out between my legs, his fingers and his still pumping penis. He growled as he lifted his head above mine and leaned in for a deep kiss. His tongue maneuvered its way past mine, seeking out all that my mouth had to offer. My hands slid around behind his buttocks and caressed them before I squeezed them, gently digging my fingernails in without breaking skin. His mouth tore away from mine as he growled loud into the large room.

"Kagome!"

He came hard as he thrusted his whole weapon into me, pouring his liquid warmth inside of me as my walls tightened around his hardness, squeezing out every last drop until there was no more. He fell on top of me again for the tenth time tonight. Both of us still panting, trying to take in as much air as we possibly could from our strenuous exercise on his bed.

When I found my voice again, I spoke in between breaths, "I'm… going to… kill… you..."

He lifted his head and looked at me. I looked at him back and he smirked, "We'll see, my little snow pearl…"

He bent his head down and kissed the mark on my neck.


	4. Chapter 4

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Four**_

_By PhoenixBlade_

* * *

I kneeled before Sesshoumaru and his court with head down and decked out in my assassin gear with my trusty sword in my hand. Sesshoumaru gazed at me lazily with his head resting on a fisted hand on one arm of his pearly white polished throne, as if he were bored. That was partly true, he was rarely on his throne save for when there had to be meetings and when he was showing me off to the court and visitors.

It wasn't so much as to flaunt me off to these people that I was a delectable piece of meat he screwed every night, but rather, I was a message. He put me in the spotlight to show his court and to the visitors of what his power and strength would do to them should they cross or betray him or even join him… and I was that strength. I was there to keep people in check when they thought of wanting to take his power for themselves or if they were getting out of line.

They feared me, a ningen, and a female no less. There were very few females who served in Sesshoumaru's military, much less his court, but they were all youkai, and I was not. I was Sesshoumaru's personal assassin and in their version, the boogieman. If anyone should fail Sesshoumaru, I would be the punisher and not a single one had escaped me yet. Though there had been a couple who had managed to evade me, I killed them more mercilessly than others for postponing my deliverance of their death sentence.

Sesshoumaru had since grown to be a very powerful man, not that he wasn't before, but after I came into the picture, everyone feared him. Yes, they feared me too, but they feared Sesshoumaru even more because he was himself a very scary youkai. Though he was young and to the elder youkai, not wise enough in that he hadn't been in rule long by youkai terms, he ruled with an iron fist and his people feared him and yet at the same time, they worshipped him. He protected his people well from outside invasions and he was reasonable when it came to taxes. He was mature for his age, wanting nothing more than power and the world, and I, I was part of that.

I looked up as Sesshoumaru listened to one of his war generals strategizing about an ambush that I would supposedly ambush. Funny, an ambush on an ambush…

"My lord, General Hlub Neeg of the East kingdom has set an ambush on the weapons cargo traveling this way this night at the Ying River. If we had not gotten this message, the cargo would be gone before then, but our informant had been swift and silent. Since the cargo has been stopped and dealt with, I suggest that we use this opportunity to strike back at the general for he has destroyed many of our routes in his quest to ruin us," said his war general.

Sesshoumaru had been looking at me the whole time, never taking his eyes off of me. I looked back at him. If it was a staring contest that he wanted, then it would be one that he would get. I narrowed my eyes in on him. He smirked.

"My lord?" spoke the court advisor from his side, unsure of how to approach Sesshoumaru.

I accidentally blinked and frowned. I lost and his eyes sparked with triumph, but no one had seen that except me. I hated his little stupid games that he played with me. Each small act of his idea of play made me hate him even more; knowing what he could do to me freely, yet no one else seemed to notice. That was fine with me, I would play along, I wouldn't like it, but I would because it wasn't any of their damn business anyway.

He turned to his advisor and spoke with an odd tone in his serious and bored voice, as if it would break should that person appear before him, "…Hlub Neeg has been with the ningens too long, don't you think? He has become weak and soft…"

The advisor blinked, "Y-yes my lord… but what action should we take?"

He turned his head back to me, "It is time that I repay the bastard for deciding to side with the ningens and killing his own people. My little assassin can take care of him and his men, just her. Let him know how it feels to be killed by one who has betrayed their own race to serve the other."

All eyes turned to me and I nodded, "As my master wishes."

"B-but Lord Sesshoumaru!" came the baritone voice of an outsider, a messenger of a lord who had surrendered and given his services to Sesshoumaru, "She is female and a _ningen_! How can she hope to kill five thousand experienced warriors of Hlub Neeg's army? He is known far and wide as one who is to be feared as it is the ningens whom he loves that he fights for, and his army has wiped out many of our militaries!"

"He is right, my lord! We cannot put our faith in such a… wretched little slip of a girl, a _ningen_ no less!" sneered another who had recently joined up with Sesshoumaru, "She will die before she even reaches them!"

"That's right! My youkai and I can eradicate this small fry for you my lord!" came a voice.

"Give me one hundred youkai and I will bring you back the general's head!" came another.

The noise level from those, who did not know who I was and disapproved of me, rose. They got to their feet, arguing amongst themselves or at his decision. I sat still, eyes never looking away from Sesshoumaru, who was beginning to get a little annoyed.

"That's enough!" he barked.

His voice rang throughout the hall, and the voices fell dead silent like a sleeping graveyard.

"Five thousand is nothing compared to the hordes of youkai and ningens that the Shikon no Tama has slaughtered in the last years that she has begun to serve me."

As if the room couldn't get anymore silent, it did. Now it really started to sound like a graveyard. I could imagine the faces of some of the newcomers, paling in fear and shock, realizing then who the little ningen girl, who wasn't so little now, was. I had slain thousands, even more than five thousand in one night by myself.

I was the boogieman of all youkai kind, and the devil to all ningens. One who waited for you behind every dark corner, hid in every crook and cranny of your house and stalked you in the shadows. I was the Shikon no Tama, a monster hiding in the closet or the monster who hid under your bed at night waiting for you to fall asleep. Shikon no Tama was a nickname, but a nickname which brought fear to ningens and youkai alike.

"We will need our armies concentrated elsewhere. We need no more wasted on small things. Though General Hlub Neeg is a powerful youkai and his ningens are strong as well, we will let the Shikon no Tama deal with them. Hlub Neeg is powerful, too powerful for any of your meek and tiny skills. He will kill you all in less than three steps," hissed the youkai lord.

Everyone was on the edge of their toes and heels. They had wanted to say something back, but fear of Sesshoumaru and me held them back. Good.

He turned his gaze back to me, "Shikon no Tama, rise."

I stayed still for several seconds as the other youkai in the room waited on baited breath. I rose up to one knee slowly, then put one foot out and stood up. I gripped tightly onto my sword in one hand, a fist in the other.

"Kill General Hlub Neeg and all with him. Let none escape."

I waited for a few seconds as if to let it soak in. Slowly, I nodded and turned to leave. As I walked down past the eyes of angry and powerful youkai who were still standing, Sesshoumaru's voice stopped me.

"When will you kill me, my little pearl?"

There were sudden gasps and little murmurs amongst the newcomers. The ones who knew our routine kept their mouths sealed shut. It was his way of saying, don't fail me.

I turned around inch by inch, as if I were some fragile thing that would break if I made any sudden moves. I let the silent hatred wash over me, "Not yet."

I gripped onto my sword tighter as some youkai made astonished noises and went to their weapons, but Sesshoumaru's boisterous laughter stopped them. I glared at him even more and he smirked at me, the way a man would look at a woman when he knew she was his, wrapped around his fingers and put on a leash. I hated his dumb games that he played, toying with me, baiting me to defend what honor I had left. I had none, but it was just as easy for him. He was looking forward to me killing him, and I was waiting for that to happen, but not now, the time wasn't right.

I turned back to the exit and walked out the doors. Hell was going to be busy tonight.

* * *

Hlub Neeg - means "loves people"


	5. Chapter 5

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Five**_

_By PhoenixBlade_

* * *

It was dark and I was in a heavily forested area where the ambushers camped. I watched as two soldiers came into the clearing to change watch with the soldier lying on the ground. They chuckled and made a joke about the soldier falling asleep while on duty. It was his mistake for doing so; he would never wake to see the sun again. They shouted at him to wake, but the dead body did not stir. They finally kicked him, but the body fell back into place. A noise of disappointment left their mouths as they bent down and nudged the body over. There was a cry of alarm and they pulled back instantly as if they had just touched something scalding hot.

"Blood!" they both cried in unison, realizing that he was now dead.

I leaned forward as I pulled my sword out.

"Did you hear something?" the other one squeaked in fear.

I took one step, still bent and my bell fell from my shirt, but bounced back because of the string around my neck.

_Ching!_

"What was that!" panicked the first one.

"Death," the other one whispered in quick breaths.

I suddenly lunged forward deftly and quickly swung my sword up as I came within striking distance of the two. Before they could voice a scream, the sharp edge of my sword cut through their necks. Their bodies fell without so much of a noise. I looked at their limp bodies on the floor amongst all the decomposed leaves. Pretty soon, they would be worm food as well.

I swung my sword to the side, flinging the blood away and sheathed it quickly while wiping it as it went in. I gave a quick look over the dead bodies and stepped over them to where the camp was dark and silent. Despite the darkness helping them hide, it was also their mistake. The dark was my ally and the night was my friend. They would not live to see another night… ever.

I felt the bell jump up and down against my chest. It made a little jingle each time it bumped onto me. I stopped and caught it before it came back down. I looked at it for a brief moment before I tucked it back in my shirt and continued on with my mission.

The bell had been a gift, the only reminder of my childhood and everything else that I had once held dear. It was a miracle even to find it amongst the smoldering flames and ashes of what used to be my home.

It had been a lover's gift, as my now departed friends had call it, from a boy who had been infatuated with me and I, to him in my own little childish way. Now, the bell was no longer a token of love and affection, but a warning of death and destruction to those who would hear it.

I stopped my train of thought as I slew down ten soldiers in a row when I neared the camp. I had taken care of all the scouts and guards on duty, the only ones left were in the camp. I had gotten used to killing people without thinking about killing them. It was habit. At first, it had scared me to death, bringing in nightmares every night, but as time rolled on and the slaughter grew, the nightmares faded away like some distant dream. Rather, I slept without dreaming since then.

I ducked quickly as an arrow whizzed by two inches in front of my face. I turned and ran to my left as a rain of arrows came down where I had been standing. There were shouts and the sounds of swords being drawn. So they finally found out that I was here. Good. This could turn out to be more interesting…

I listened closely to where they were hiding. It was quiet all of a sudden; not even the usual chirping of the crickets was in the air. I slid behind a tree and leaned on it, closing my eyes, intent on focusing on a sound, any sound would do. These were regular, but skilled men. My miko powers were useless in being used against them.

A soft ruffling of cloth came from my right. I pulled out three darts from my belt and threw it, aimed precisely at where the would-be victims were. There were three screams and I fled from the tree as the arrows came and pierced it. I stopped behind another tree and repeated the same process when I heard them. I did it two more times before they figured out that I was hiding behind the trees.

I ducked into a small bush and waited with baited breath as a soldier quietly dipped his foot into a small leaf covered hole. Once he set his foot down, I struck out with a dart in hand and stabbed his foot. He screamed in pain as I rushed up and stabbed his stomach through with my dagger. I pulled out my sword and slithered behind his back, holding his limp but still live body upright as a shield when the arrows and daggers came and hit him.

He cried out in pain and his body went slack. I ran with his body as a shield and dropped it once I found a tree to climb. I rested on a branch above the body behind leaves and other branches to cover me. Several soldiers ran over to see if their comrade was still alive. I jumped down instantly and gripped tightly onto my sword as I swiped upwards and slashed them across their faces. They screamed, clawing at their faces and I took off again, closer to the camp.

There were faint murmurs in the background and it quickly died when I ran and punched a soldier through the stomach in my way. There was a loud cracking of bones and he fell. I swung my sword around to the bodies near me and they fell in a large heap of dead bodies. The murmurs became shouts and yells. It was then that they decided to make some light. Someone lit a torch near me and I threw a dart at them. There was a gurgle, and the sounds of a fallen person and of the torch. It laid on the ground, lighting up the face of a dead man with a dart in his bloody neck.

"There! By that tree!" came a shout.

"Which tree?" shouted someone in front of me.

I ran my sword into that man's back and pushed him down and ran. The lit torches were nowhere near me.

"Where the devil is he?" someone yelled in frustration and fear.

As I ran past a man, I shouted, "He's here!"

They knew the voice didn't belong to their group and shot arrows in that direction. The man died.

I slid between three men and shouted, "Here!"

The three jumped as the arrows and daggers hit them. They screamed.

"Archers! Fall back! We're killing our own men!" someone commanded.

I heard the quick shuffling of feet. They were probably going back to camp to protect Hlub Neeg. I ducked and whirled around torches and the men to where the archers were going. Hopefully, they wouldn't notice that I wasn't one of theirs. I ran up next to one of the archers, mimicking the speed and strides of his running feet. Suddenly, he struck out at me, but I ducked and lunged, shoving my sword up into his armpit and pulled out before he would fall on me. His blood had fallen on my armor and trickled down my sword. I felt a little bit of his blood splash on my cheek, but I ignored it.

I sidestepped as someone lunged towards me with their sword. I swung it down and beheaded them. Another sword came as I bent back, letting the sword hover an inch above my face. I threw my arm up with my sword and cut off his arms.

He screamed as I bent back up and drove the sword into his chest and pushed him back. He fell onto top of another person who accidentally stabbed himself with his sword. I jumped on top of them and flipped forward into the circle of the archers who were no longer fleeing.

"He's over here! Bring the light-agh!" He didn't finish.

Half of the archers had shot their arrows intent on finishing me off, but I was too quick and it hit the other half behind me. I gripped onto my dagger and meandered between the archers on the ground, slashing at their leg tendons as they fell one by one with cries of horror and pain.

It was taking too much time having to take care of these idiots. I needed to go kill Hlub Neeg. I ran into the camp hidden in darkness with voices trailing behind me to go protect their general and to kill me on sight. The camp suddenly grew quiet, save for the slight ruffling of clothing and quiet whispers followed by blood-curling cries after I killed them.

I slid from one dark tent to the next, silent and wary in case there may have been a soldier inside waiting for me. I took a quick peek in each one, many of them without an occupant inside, several of which I caught by surprise and now lay in a bloody pool of their own bodily fluids.

Where was Hlub Neeg? He was a pain in the ass to find. I finally reached the center of the camp and lo and behold, the biggest tent of the camp was there, like an idle castle standing among the protection of its many tented moats. I thought Hlub Need to be a smart man, or rather, smart youkai, and go for a smaller tent like his soldiers to hide himself, but he was a traditional man. He would show that he was large and in charge. I never knew the man, and probably, never would.

I snuck around his few guards guarding the tent and sliced their throats while muffling their mouths from breathing sound. They fell in a ring of blood around the large tent, as if to pay tribute to what laid inside. My gift to Hlub Neeg.

I opened the front flap and stepped inside into the darkness of the tent as silent as a predator stalking its prey.

There was a screen blocking my view of what laid beyond there. There was a fifty-fifty chance that Hlub Neeg was behind there with a sword, and he could kill me right away. He probably knew that I was in there already anyway; he was a youkai after all.

I readied to throw the screen open for a fight, but before I could, a low yet vaguely familiar different voice spoke to me, "I am not armed if you want to know. You may enter, I will not harm you."


	6. Chapter 6

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Six**_

_By PhoenixBlade_

* * *

I was… surprised. I had expected him to come charging at me with a sword in hand or, but not this. I threw the screen to the side as I stepped through, revealing dark room with a large desk with a man sitting behind it. His chin rested on two gloved hands standing upright from the table. To the side was another screen that was slightly open, hiding two futons and a sleeping body in one of them. I turned back to the man at the desk. Upon his desk were several piles of scattered papers, a bottle of ink and a brush to write with and a candle that had been recently put out. The smoke from the candle drifted into the air around Hlub Neeg like an eerie ghost.

There was silence between us, but the silence spoke in volumes of why I was here. My eyes adjusted better to the cloaked darkness of the room. I stared at his dark figure behind the desk, dressed in armor and hands clasped together as if he had been praying to some great deity or god. He sat unmoving, not stirring from the silence that seemed to have overwhelmed us in its presence. Then, he opened his eyes, a clear and translucent amber color that glowed in the darkness.

The man had a sort of strange aura around him, impressively strong and intimidating. It was no wonder why the youkai were scared of him. Despite his impressive presence, he had exuded great wisdom and knowledge beneath that tough exterior in which few would have probably seen. I respected and admired him immediately.

Pity he had to die.

I swallowed twice before I had the nerve to speak in his presence, "You are… General Hlub Neeg?"

He looked at me, as if studying my visage in the darkness. Youkai did have good eyesight after all. After a few more moments of silence, he nodded. I nodded in return and pulled out my sword.

"…You were sent here to kill me, am I correct?" he asked calmly.

I raised my sword a little, preparing to strike. It was enough of an answer for him.

"I have a favor to ask of you," he said suddenly.

I gripped the sword in my hand, "Yes?"

He closed his eyes for a bit and breathed in deeply. After a few more moments of silence, he spoke again, turning those honey colored eyes to me, "My son lies beyond the screen there. I have drugged him to sleep to keep him from the battle that I and my fellow soldiers will die for today by you. Please… do not kill him."

I narrowed my eyes on him, "…and why would the Shikon no Tama do such a thing?"

He inhaled deeply, "Because… you are the Shikon no Tama."

"Stop playing paltry tricks with me, general," I scowled at him, "your words make no sense."

The sword rose up higher.

"Did you know that the Shikon no Tama was once called the Jewel of Four Souls?"

I stared at him, undeterred by his words, but I was…interested.

"…Yes, I know of it. What of this jewel?"

He stood up slowly, "It was a jewel created from the hate of youkai and the power of a powerful priestess. It was a powerful object sought by many who lusted for the powers that it granted. Yet this was not the only thing in legends that described of the Shikon no Tama. The Shikon no Tama granted its bearer great powers, but the owner must have a pure heart to use its full powers and to make a wish or the darkness of their heart would taint the jewel with evil and the jewel would corrupt them."

I gripped onto the sword tightly, leveled at my eye level, ready to strike, "I apologize, but I tire of your ramblings."

"The Shikon no Tama is a jewel of yin and yang. It is the balance, the medium between the two. If the dark side should become greater, it shall fall to the dark and vice versa. You my dear, are the Shikon no Tama. You are the difference between darkness and light and the balance between the two," he replied in return.

"You confuse me."

He spoke with a frown on his face, seen vividly in the darkness, "You do not see the truth? You are the Shikon no Tama. You are already waning towards the dark side. Perhaps there may be some salvation to your soul, or at least to whatever shred of hope remains in you. You are tainted and corrupting the man whom owns you."

I thought about Sesshoumaru and hesitated, "I corrupt no man."

"Yet the man whom you serve has become corrupt. The Inuyoukai are proud youkai and fight their own battles. That man whom you serve is an Inuyoukai and proud, but he comes to rely more on your firepower than his own. There is no honor to one's self if they do no fighting."

"I am not here to listen to you lecture me about morals and values. I am here to kill you," I snarled at him.

"And I to save you!" he barked back.

I was taken back, "…I am far from salvation, nor do I wish for it. You are wasting your time on me, old man. If I did not admire your strength of will from the moment I laid eyes on you, I would have killed you without listening to your inane speech."

"He grows weaker by the day as you fight for him. What good is he to you then? Are you simply following him for lust of power? Or simply just lust alone?"

That one, unnerved me a tiny bit, just a bit. He stood up. I saw a wisp of long silver hair.

"If you want to know, Shikon no Tama, I wish for the safety of my son. He is perhaps about your age in ningen terms, maybe a year or two older, but he is my pride and joy. The world spat in his face when I helped bring him into this world. I protected and helped him become engaged in what the world had to offer and he took it and the world grew to accept him little by little, but it is not enough. His mother died while he was young and I will die tonight for sure. He has no one left. It would do you no good to kill him off…"

I scoffed, "All the people that I kill, whether men, women or children, old or young, deaf or blind, crippled or strong, all were meant to die at some point. I simply sent them to an earlier grave."

He shook his head and came around to stand in front of his desk and me, "My son… is your yin. You already have your yang. He is becoming corrupt as is. My son is innocent, though has seen many battles, he has not seen much darkness in this world and will become corrupt if that should happen. I want him to stay as pure as he can without becoming evil, yet knowing that there is evil in the world and that he can fight with a clear mind. He will make you become balanced as you were meant to be and your master will become the honorable man that he once was. They are the yin and yang to your future, to your destiny."

"Wise ramblings, general. I shall remember that," I gritted my teeth.

"It is up to you to believe me or not, priestess," he said and it surprised me, "but my son will prove to be worthy in your cause and helpful to your goal."

I stared at Hlub Neeg for a few seconds, not sure whether to believe him or not. The man's wisdom had been greatly sought after from many a youkai before he became a tender loving ningen hugger, and even married one. Even after so long, his wisdom had remained, perhaps even surpassed the person whom he was before. Yet as I contemplated his demise, an idea began to form in my head. Gears moved and clicked, locking into place. The ways to my goal were being drawn in my mind as clear as day as I watched in expressionless wonder at the man before me. Yes, it was quite a pity to have to kill him.

I lowered my sword and for once in my life, I smiled, but it wasn't a good kind either, "Yes, I suppose you are correct on that. I will make sure that your son lives."

He sighed in relief and nodded his head, "Thank you."

"No, I should be thanking you, but I shall repay you for your words of wisdom when I see you in the afterlife," I said raising my sword again.

"There is no need Shikon no Tama. In this, I am insured that my youngest lives as clean as he can be and that I pay back all those years of neglection to my- to your master," he said.

I bowed my head in respect to him.

He chuckled, "In times like these, I did not expect such show of courtesy and respect from anyone, especially you. It is rare to see one so young showing respect to their elders."

"I pick and choose who I deem it worthy of, your excellence," I said.

He raised an eyebrow, "You know who I really am, do you not?"

I nodded. He smiled a sad and tired smile, as if he had seen too much in his days and wished to see his burdens gone.

"It has been an honor to meet you, Shikon no Tama, it would have been nice to talk to you one-on-one about other things in life, but perhaps fate has condoned it that we must never talk of such things, from one warrior to another. Tis a pity."

I nodded and sprung forward quickly, stabbing him deftly through the heart, "My apologies, your highness."

He looked at me, his amber eyes fading away quickly into dullness and haze. There was a slight smile on his face and a small twinkle in his eye, as if he knew every secret that I hid deep within myself and had just unlocked them all, "G-good… lu-luck…"

With that, he fell limp, the twinkle in his eyes died and his eyes were as dead as the many that I had slain tonight. I closed his eyes and said a short prayer for him because I was, after all, a priestess. For some reason… it was sad to see such a great man die… and for once in a long time, I felt guilty for killing such a man.

"What's that?" came shouts from the outside.

"A sound!"

"From the general's tent!"

"Protect the general!"

I pushed Hlub Need off my sword and wiped it quickly on my sash. I laid him down the best I could in the position that one would be set in a coffin at a funeral. I ran into the room with his sleeping son when I heard the sounds of boots and clanking armor come closer to the tent. My gaze turned to the son. He was sleeping deeply, but silently, not knowing that I had just taken his loving father away from him. I looked at him closely for a few seconds; he had long silver hair like his father and lightly tanned but pale skin. His fingers had long sharp claw-like hard nails and wiggling from beneath his scattered hair were two dog-like ears that looked soft to touch.

I heard the soldiers run in and heard them shout, finding the body of their beloved leader. I suddenly felt my heart begin to beat faster, my blood rushing in my ears. They then ran in seeing me with sword drawn and standing over the son of their dead general.

"He's going to kill the general's son!" said the first soldier.

I quickly turned and slashed the wall, creating an opening to the outside. I jumped out as they shouted and jumped out after me. I made a mad dash for the trees, evading the oncoming arrows and barely escaped the barrage of now flaming arrows that flew my way. They finally got smart. Why shoot in the dark and hold a flaming torch over your head when you can shoot it at the enemy and find out where they are?

There were more shouts and more arrows than I cared to remember. I ran and whizzed past all of them, receiving several scratches and burns from the arrows that managed to singe me a little and from the branches that got in my way. I hid behind a huge tree and took a breather as the arrows began to die down and stop when they figured out that they weren't hitting me, but were setting the forest on fire.

My bell necklace had decided to fall out during my evasion of flying sharp pointy flaming things. I held it for a moment, as if to calm the beating of my heart. I decided that enough was enough. I had to kill them all tonight despite killing Hlub Neeg, they were still a force to be reckoned with and could do alright with or without them. Plus, I would cripple the ningen's army for a long while, enough to distract them from Sesshoumaru's plans so he could be focused on them instead.

I had had enough fun and games. It was time to go out in the opening and finish things. I snuck quietly among the ranks of men, hiding in their shadows from the fire and walked around to one of the huge bonfires on the side in the complete darkness untouched by the light of fire, and purposely let my bell ring once to get their attention. Someone shot a flaming arrow at me and I struck it down in mid air. The fire still burned and I picked it up and threw it in the fire.

The bonfire came to life, releasing a huge burst of flames into the night sky as if wanting to touch the stars. I walked around the bonfire to let them get a good view of me. The bell hopped back and forth on my breastplate, making a ching! sound every time it hit the hard surface of my armor. The men gasped and whispered among themselves. They knew who I was, but still couldn't believe that a girl had killed off their leader and their fellow soldiers.

I rose my sword and moved my feet around ready to attack, "I am the Shikon no Tama. You have heard the bell of death ring. Prepare to meet your fellow companions in the afterlife for I shall guarantee you all a quick passage into death."

There was a slight pause before they started yelling and ran towards me. I narrowed my eyes from the smoke and fire around me. I gripped tightly onto my sword with both hands and ran towards them like a suicidal maniac. Hell knew no limits in its occupancy. If I couldn't go there yet, I would send in others as my replacements for the time being.


	7. Chapter 7

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Seven**_

_By PhoenixBlade_

* * *

_Whisked away into the dark night,_

_Was it the light of fire you were searching for?_

_Still blind to the flame that had been blown out,_

_You, who kept fighting a losing war._

* * *

"Report."

I looked at his pale face, eyes trailing down the two stripes that ran down his cheeks. He looked as bored as ever, with that blank face and emotionless frown that graced his oh-so-lovely lips. I had just returned from fulfilling my task in wiping out General Hlub Neeg and his army. Darkness surrounded his study room with a touch of light from his one melting candle that sat on his desk. The faint glow danced and caressed the cheek that was not leaning on his fisted hand.

I fell to one knee with a hand held before my chest and head bowed down, "As you have commanded, I have fulfilled my task. General Hlub Neeg and his army now lie among the many inhabitants of the soil."

There was suddenly a sudden chill in the air. Crinkles of magic-like sparks pricked at my skin, threatening to pierce through my skin. He wasn't happy.

"You… buried him?" he asked, his voice still emotionless but now had a tint of anger in it.

Both my knees were now on the floor as I bowed my head low with hands out in an apologetic position.

"I apologize, but I am a miko after all. Is it not my duty to bury the dead even if I was the one who slew them? They were worthy of burial. They had fought tooth and nail to the end in protection and revenge for Hlub Neeg," I apologized in a mad rush. No need to get him this riled up. He was grumpy from lack of sleep I could tell, burying the one man whom he detested above all others was just fuel to the fire.

"You buried Hlub Neeg, the one man whom I detested above all others!"

"Yes…"

Feeling somewhat daring, I rose from the apologetic position to the suicidal position, staring back at his greatness with confidence that my actions were for the better.

"Though I have angered, what has been done is done. You ordered me to take care of Hlub Neeg and his army and I have done so. You did not tell me what to do with the bodies afterwards," I spat back at him and smirked.

How odd it was… I had never really smiled before, but this wasn't a good kind of smile either. I was baiting him, and that was bad. Heh, bastard. Deserve. The sound of wood splintering brought me back to Sesshoumaru.

I could see the growing fury in his eyes, the annoyance of my actions. He was sitting upright, his claws digging into his chair, his jaws clenching to hold back a snarl.

Suddenly, as if he had just had the greatest idea in the world come up, he dropped back in his chair, jaws unclenched, fury fading from his eyes and hands clasped in the sleeves of his kimono. A small smirk danced on his lips as he looked at me with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes and I bit back a gasp, realizing what he wanted. No way…

"Go wash up my little pearl and come to my room after you are done. I want you to be clean and glowing when I… punish you tonight," he said with a malicious grin on his face.

Inwardly, I panicked. The only times he would call me little pearl was to ensure that I would finish a task that he gave me, when he had me in bed, or when he wanted to punish me bad. This was his way of showing me who was in control. If I could have chosen other punishments that he used in punishing others whom he deemed failures, I would have chosen them over his own personal punishments he had with me. There was going to be a lot of blood, pain and screaming… and it would be me doing all the screaming.

* * *

_Earlier that day..._

* * *

Dusting off the dirt from my hands, I looked on at the funeral fire. The dead bodies were burning and turning to ashes. It has taken me the whole day, but I had managed to drag all the bodies by myself to a huge clearing in the forest. I could hear the cracking of armor, the scent of cooking flesh and see lifeless bodies being burned away into things that no longer resembled who or what they had originally looked like. All that was left of them were charred skeletons and rotting flesh.

I walked up to the large fire, but stayed far away enough to not get scorched by the fire or get smoke in my eyes. I pressed my hands together, palm to palm, and went to my knees. I bowed as far down to the ground to the fallen soldiers and stayed there for a little while before I rose to my feet. Looking on at the fire for a few seconds, I began to sing a prayer that my miko-sensei had taught me long ago.

_A prayer to the fallen soldiers_

_May my gentle whispers_

_Lull thy restless bodies to sleep_

_And guide thy wandering souls_

_To contentment and nirvana_

_Sleep, for thy waking shall never come_

_Listen well to my voice_

_A lullaby to thy sensitive ears_

_Rest and be assured_

_Thy family and thy friends_

_Shall keep their memory of thee_

_Sweet within their hearts_

_Thy debts and thy burdens_

_Are no longer yours to own_

_You who owe nothing to this world_

_Sleep for you are now free_

_Let my hush sighs bring thee silence_

_Sleep, sleep for all eternity…_

I heard a faint rustle of cloth behind me a ways, but I ignored it for now. I kneeled and bowed to the burning bodies again, longer this time in respect, and rose up again to turn to my one-man audience.

Instead of looking at me, his clear amber eyes stared straight behind me at the funeral fire. They were sad, mournful and seemed to want to cry, but some unwritten law of manliness stopped him from doing so.

I looked at him a bit as he watched the fire. He was tall, almost a head taller than me. A billowing red outfit clung to his body as a dull-colored armor hugged his body. His long thick silver hair was tousled from sleep. His eyes were wary and tired from waking, among other things. They were gentle, but at the moment serious. His lips were set to a grim line, almost to the point of crying if not for that unwritten law of manliness again. I was a woman, he was a man. He could not cry in front of me, simple as that.

His skin was tanned a little, though not much, but more so than mine. He held an old, rusty sword in one hand and had his other hand clenched to hold back any emotions that wanted to be let out. Though his father said he was actually older than me, in youkai and ningen years, he looked so… young. Naïve perhaps, but definitely young, as if some part of him was so innocent that one did not want to have him tainted.

He blinked and inhaled deeply before looking back at me, "…My father? Is he…?"

"Dead," I answered.

He looked away and breathed in deeply again, holding back his emotions again. His attention returned to me, "…Where?"

His voice sounded like a little child, as if asking for their favorite blankie that had gone missing, but that was what he was, from what I had seen so far. He may have looked ready to battle, but inside, he was like a child.

"If you would follow me, I will show you," I said.

He hesitated for a bit then nodded. I began walking in the direction back to the forest. He said nothing as I led him past some brushes and behind some trees until we came to a big lonely tree that bled petals of pink blossoms from its branches to the ground. Underneath the tree was a mound of dirt and several small rocks over it.

I stopped and he stopped at my side.

"I did not know how you wanted the general's funeral to be so I buried him here out of respect. If you would like, I can bring his body over to where the others are and burn it," I suggested.

He immediately shook his head, "No… don't. I… I would rather see him buried under his favorite tree than to let his body rot away to the wind. At least here I can…" he drifted off.

It took me a minute to realize what he wanted, "…I will leave you alone."

I stared to turn away when he grabbed onto my arm and I almost went to my sword out of habit, but stopped and looked at him. Those now-watery honey suckled eyes looked at me with gratitude and sadness, "Thank you… for all that you've done…"

I was quiet for a few seconds, not knowing what to do or say.

I turned my body around and I looked at him, "…It is my job. There is no need to thank me."

"No, thank you… for everything miko-sama. They would have appreciated what you've done for them… I… I thank you…" he said and proceeded to bow to me, but I stopped him.

"There is no need for thanks again my lord. I shall be taking my leave of you, for I must go," I said and bowed once more before walking away.

"Wait!" he shouted to me as had just reached the trees.

I turned around and he hesitated for a bit before saying, "I'm… My name is Inuyasha… May I… ask what your name is?"

I was a bit surprised and a little taken back, but I felt the gentlest of smiles touch my lips. "I am Kagome."

He said my name, as if trying it out before he was satisfied with how it rolled on his tongue.

"Kagome," he smiled and bowed.

I bowed back and left with him staring after me, still with the smile on my face. How odd…

* * *

_Back to the present…_

* * *

Sesshoumaru was heavy against my naked body, panting into the curve of my neck, satiated from our "lovemaking." One arm was wrapped around my hip, gently caressing an old scar there and the other was wrapped around my waist. His length was still engulfed in my warmth, still wedged between my legs as I felt our cum trickle down my bloody sweat-soaked thighs. My thighs were sore and hurt from him ramming roughly into me while he was pumping in and out of me, it had hurt and had felt good at the same time. He was good at that, drawing out pleasure from pain and vice versa.

I laid still against his weight, panting for air and staring at the wooden ceiling above me in the darkness. It felt like he was suffocating me, but he wasn't. I should have cared that he was smothering me and that the throbbing pain at my newly inflicted and still bleeding cuts were wanting my attention, but I didn't. The anger, the invisible and overwhelming burning sensation inside, was raging wildly in me. I _hated_ him.

I had done as he had ordered me to, I took the bath, but I took longer than necessary and one of the youkai servants came and dragged me out of the bath before dressing me in a simple yukata before shoving me into Sesshoumaru's room where he was waiting for me. For that small act of rebellion, he made me scream, bleed and beg him to take me as he brought forth such pleasurable sensations throughout my body. It was the worst kind of torture that I had ever gone through and I begged him like some submissive wanton bitch in heat. The bastard…

I tore away from my trip down memory lane back to our current position when Sesshoumaru started licking the sweat away on my neck. He shifted a little and I winced from the pain between my legs. I wanted him off but I had used up all my strength on him earlier when I tried to pry his hands away from me, but it was a stupid thing to do because it was like trying to move a large boulder.

His tongue found its way to the mark at the junction between my neck and shoulder that was now bleeding slowly then when he bit me earlier as he thrusted into me. He lapped away at the blood as if it were some sweet and addictive elixir. I whimpered a little when he bit down gently on it. It still hurt. Unfortunately, he didn't care and chuckled. He bit down a little harder this time, digging his claws lightly into the fresh wounds he had inflicted on me earlier. I moaned, caught between pain and pleasure as his length pulsed to life and hardened inside me.

I made a slight sound, unsure of what I was feeling at the moment, but there was a slightness of anger in it. Yes, I was angry at him. I didn't want this. I had never wanted this in the first place.

He looked at me, lust plain in his eyes. He was ready for another go and I glared daggers back him. He smirked and leaned in for a kiss. I turned my head to the side to avoid it, but he dug his fingers into my skin, breaking it. I yelped and he took this moment to slash his lips across mine. Before I knew it, he was back up and slowly thrusting his length in and out of me, drawing out pleasure from me that my body craved for but my mind didn't want. I shut my eyes tightly and bit my lips to stop myself from crying out in pleasure and letting him know that my body was enjoying it.

His lips moved down over my left breast, hovering above it, letting his hot breaths bring my nipples to life, hardening as the knot in my stomach tightened with every slow thrust of his hips. I heard a faint sloshing sound from between our legs, but I ignored it. Stay on the focused Kagome, stay focus or he'll-

His next thrust was so rough and hard that I couldn't help but cry out, caught between pain and pleasure, I let him know that I wanted him. He groaned in satisfaction, knowing that I had wanted his body and continued his slow, torturing pace and I made unrecognizable animal noises with each meandering thrust. It was too much, too much to handle. I needed him to- oh god… I needed him to…

His mouth covered my nipple and he sucked on it like a hungry newborn. I squeaked as he raised one claw to my other breast and kneaded it, tips of his claws fondling the nipple so precisely; I couldn't help but scream his name, though hoarse my voice was from my ruined throat.

"Sesshoumaru!"

Before I knew it, the orgasm came in a rush as I began to fall into that place between sleep and complete darkness while he continued to thrust into me. As I felt myself slip away, I felt him bite down hard into my collar bone. I came back fully awake with a blood-curling scream. It…hurt!

I stared at him with eyes full of hate and disgust as he continued to pump into me. He leaned into my face, so close that our noses touched every time he filled me.

"Stay awake my little pearl, your punishment is not yet over…I'll have you screaming until your lungs are burning…"

With that, he drove into me like a madman… and I screamed.


	8. Chapter 8

**Snow Pearl**

**_Chapter Eight_**

_By PhoenixBlade_

* * *

I sighed.

"Mistress, if you want to let it heal, you'd better not move around too much or participate in any sexual activities for a while..." the Herbs Mistress told me, but it sounded more like scolding.

Just another typical day to the Herbs Mistress. I tended to come to the infirmary a lot. The Herbs Mistress was an aged youkai woman who was old enough for me to forget my own family tree. She had lived for a long time and had seen much, but many of her experiences, she kept to herself, only giving them out when she wanted to share them. She had traveled for a time long ago, that is until Sesshoumaru's grandfather took her in after seeing her astonishing healing abilities and knowledge with herbs, many of which could cure and kill. I had been told that she had looked exactly the same now as she did when she first arrived.

She wasn't particularly kind to me, but she didn't hate me either. I supposed her many years of life had toned down her violent youkai nature and typical youkai hatred towards ningens.

I stared at her while she mumbled a few words and moved about the room rummaging through drawers and cabinets for herbs. She was short and sort of plump. She was bent over with a brown gnarled cane in hand and a small hump on her back. Her hair was a mixture of olive green and grayish white. Patches of her hair were darker with green and parts were lighter with the grayish white, it was an odd mix of colors and not blended well with each other, but who was I to complain?

Her eyes were a hazel gray with bags under her eyes as if she had never had a day of sleep. Her face was so wrinkled and darkly tanned against her lightly colored eyes and mixed color hair. Her fingers were long and curled, like twigs branching away from the palm of her hand. She looked more like a stubby tree now that I think about it. Perhaps she was a forest youkai of some sort, or perhaps a tree that had been given legs to wander?

"…If you don't, the consequences may be dire, and you may not be able to have any children if you keep this up… Mistress? Are you listening to me?"

I snapped from my thoughts and looked at her frown at me with her brows crinkled and one hand on her hip. So motherly.

"If you expect to continue living, mistress, you'd better do as I say. Ningens don't do well when hurt under the same place that houses youkai who have the strength to kill three thousand men in less than a second! It would do you good to listen well or I can't guarantee you your life. Even I could smash you against a wall and break your skull in a second with this fragile and weak body of mine!" she lectured me.

I lifted my head from my hand and sat up more appropriately.

I bowed my head a little ways and looked at her, "My apologies Herbs Mistress. I will pay more attention this time."

She sighed at me and blinked those wrinkly skinned eyes of hers, "Well, not this time. Off with you then, young one! You will not listen to me today nor any other day you are here, so I will just have to let you go for now, but don't expect me to treat you next time this happens! "

I thanked her and left.

Despite her being youkai, she reminded me of old Kaede-sensei… and I… I missed Kaede-sensei…

* * *

I ignored the soreness and throbbing pain between my legs as I walked out into the garden. My armor weighed down on me heavily and my body wished for it to be taken off, but I ignored it. Instead, I took in the beauty of the garden. It was a beautiful and quiet place. I loved taking strolls down the smooth cobbled path and admired the blooming flowers. It was my favorite place to go to when I was stressed out or when I wanted to be away from the youkai world. Here, I communed with nature and I was content. No one else was allowed here save for Sesshoumaru, myself, a few others and visiting people of high statuses, but no one ever came around.

I walked along the flowers with hands clasped behind my back. I walked up onto the small bridge that hovered over the large koi pond. Water lilies graced the edges of the surface of the water and I watched the koi glide back and forth through the waters, gathering around me in hopes that I would feed them. There were no railings on the bridge so that one could look down at the koi without anything to hold them back and to feed them. I had no food with me however. I lifted my head, closing my eyes, letting my face bask in the light of the sun. I breathed in the aromatic air and sighed when I felt a gentle breeze flow past. It was perfect.

I suddenly felt something uncomfortable and dark watching me behind my back not too far away. It wasn't a friendly presence, but then again, nothing in this whole place was friendly at all, especially to a ningen like me. It was gloomy and almost suffocating, with a tint of evil in it. It was just enough evil that it gave me goose bumps, made my hair stand on its ends and made my miko senses blare in the back of my head. I could feel my miko powers start to prick my skin between my fingers like static.

I turned my head slightly to gaze at my silent stalker. He was very tall and lean, possibly built underneath. He was dressed in a black kimono with his hands held together, hidden from view inside his two sleeves. I looked at his head. He had long dark locks of hair, wavy and wild, splaying almost delicately across his shoulders and falling down his back. His face was a deathly pale color and I was almost half expected him to fall down dead before me.

He was handsome and it scared me to think that he was, because he scared me, but what stuck out to me the most were his pure red eyes. They were like crystallized blood red rubies that had been carved into his face. I involuntarily took a step back. He was now mere steps away from me on the bridge with a smirk on his handsome pale face.

He tilted his head and me, "It looks to be a pleasant day today, does it not?"

His voice was like velvet and smooth, caressing against my skin as if he had been touching me. I shivered slightly. He raised an eyebrow.

"Cold?" he smirked again.

I narrowed my eyes on him. I didn't like him. I turned away and began walking to the other end of the bridge.

He chuckled, "Ah. I see you are not much of a talker… ne, Higurashi?"

I stopped and looked at him angrily. There was no one in this world who would call me that, and so disrespectfully as well. No one was supposed to know my last name, how did that bastard know? Those who did know my last name never spoke again and were now resting in the soil with the worms.

"And who… are you?" I asked him with as much malice and annoyance as I could bring forth.

No one could call me that, no one!

He chuckled again and walked across the bridge to get closer to me. My miko powers flared to life and a huge spark of energy surged forward, almost blinding and managed to push the mysterious dark man back a couple of steps. I was pretty sure that Sesshoumaru would feel that. It died out once serving its purpose and disappeared a second later. I blinked and refocused my vision back at the dark man. It surprised me to see him looking at me, standing straight and tall with a sinister smile on his face and somehow, my discomfort with him grew tenfold. That smile of his made me shiver again. It promised dark things and more, things I had no wish of knowing.

"My apologies, my lady." I scowled at him and that smirk grew even wider. "I am not the gentleman that I should have been to a lady such as you. My name is Naraku."

He bowed with such grace and fluidness that I felt myself feeling a bit ashamed for not having manners… just for a second though.

He took that second to come forward and take my hand in his, pressing a kiss to the back of my hand. I suppressed my miko powers from blowing up in his face, but oddly enough, I didn't do most of the work. I could feel his power push it back so far that I felt almost numb. His lips were soft and warm, like feathers caressing my skin. I fought the urge to run my sword through him. His lips lingered there longer than necessary, almost making me rethink on actually running my sword through him, but he pulled back before I could put my plan into action. His piercing red eyes danced with a sparkle in them, and it definitely wasn't anger that lay behind those eyes of his.

"It is a pleasure… to meet such a delicate flower-no-an enchanting fairy like yourself in this beautiful garden."

I gritted my teeth as his voice touched me in places that only Sesshoumaru had touched. He was, in a sense, violating me, and I let him, but I didn't like it, not at all. Damn! Arrogant bastard!

"A fairy, you say?" came a deep familiar voice.

It was a voice edged with slight anger. We turned to the speaker and Sesshoumaru's blank face stared at us. His face told nothing, but his eyes told all burned with rage. He was furious. He didn't want anything of his being touched by another.

I tore my hand away from Naraku and looked away.

Naraku chuckled at my action and returned his attention to Sesshoumaru, "Why, my Lord Sesshoumaru-sama! Tis a lovely fairy that wanders in your flowery garden and I have caught her coincidentally in my web. I was just letting her go."

Sesshoumaru looked at me for a bit then back to Naraku. His voice was mild, but was thunderous with danger written all over it, "My hospitality is not endless, Naraku. I must insist that you refrain from touching my property."

Naraku chuckled and sighed, "My apologies, my lord, but I could not resist her pixie charms. She is quite a catch. Her beauty surpasses even those flowers that bloom in your palace."

Sesshoumaru was quiet but he narrowed his eyes on Naraku, as if contemplating something. I had the distinct feeling that the two did not like each other. He finally turned and began making his way back inside, but stopped at the door, "Enjoy yourself all you want, Naraku, but remember this, it was I whom you sought to make an alliance with. It would do you good not to break what we have just agreed on."

Suddenly Naraku's aura darkened even more, and it scared me, "Was that a threat, Sesshoumaru-sama?"

He said nothing and left, but appearing from where he left was another person. He was one of Sesshoumaru's higher men, Hiten.

He bowed to Naraku, "Naraku-sama. I hope your stay so far has been… enjoyable."

Naraku said nothing.

Hiten then looked to me, "You are expected elsewhere, Shikon-sama. If you would come with me."

Glad that I was to be away from Naraku and from Sesshoumaru's wrath, (at least for the time being) I swept past Naraku without so much as a glance and kept walking without showing any signs of fear even though I was shaking on the inside.

"Kagome!"

I stopped when I reached Hiten. Hiten gave me a bland look, but he was surprised as well. Sesshoumaru had been the only one who I had allowed to speak my first name to me. To everyone else, I was Lady Shikon.

"I hope our… interactions in the future are more… pleasant…"

I could feel the smirk play on his lips, and his slithery voice wrap itself around me like a snake. I looked at Hiten who looked at Naraku and back at me. I scowled, though not at Hiten, and rushed out of there, not caring that Naraku was laughing at my back.


	9. Chapter 9

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Nine**_

_By PhoenixBlade_

* * *

I followed Hiten down the hall to the guest quarters, half expecting him to jump at me now that we were alone because I was, after all, the one who had ruined him.

As we passed room after room and window after window, I realized just where he was taking me. At first, I assumed that he was taking me to Sesshoumaru, away from Naraku to be punished for being with that disgusting man. However, as we pressed on, I realized that we weren't going to Sesshoumaru and that Hiten had, in fact, done me a favor in taking me away from that man… but the what did he expect in return?

Suddenly, I felt Hiten turn back at me abruptly. I ducked before his claws made it to my throat and I came up from under him with a fist. He dodged it and I quickly swung my other hand down on his outstretched arm, grasped it tightly, twirled around and threw him to the ground hard before he could react. I went into a defending stance, ready in case he wanted to come at me again.

Hiten was still down, stunned from what had happened and obviously not happy with what had happened, but somehow from what he showed on his face, he knew it would happen. I narrowed my eyes on him when he looked at me. His next action surprised me, he laughed, not in happiness, but a defeated and shameful laugh.

"I should have known!" he said in between laughs, "The great Shikon no Tama!"

I sighed in annoyance and relaxed myself. He was just making a fool of himself. I turned away and began walking back the way we came from.

"Do you recognize this place?" his laughter had died and in his voice was a rising anger.

I stopped and was hesitant for a moment, but replied, "Yes."

I heard the shuffling of feet and movement of clothes as he got to his feet and dusted himself off.

"The room to my right here…" he said in a serious voice.

I turned around and looked at the door he indicated to me in silence. Yes, I knew that room very well…

"You came, a little, defenseless ningen girl. You were weak… you were nothing to us youkai but food and entertainment. That was all… That was all that you were supposed to be…"

I turn my gaze to Hiten from the door. He looked angrily at me, his glare was imposing and sent a message of death, but not enough to get me worked up. I had seen worst and scarier ones, like the eyes that bled red whenever the owner of those eyes took me in rage.

"But that was all that you were supposed to be! A mere NINGEN!" he growled fiercely at me.

I gave him a so-what? look.

He snarled and leapt at me. Apparently, he wasn't impressed with my reaction. Was this supposed to scare me?

A few seconds later, I had Hiten pinned to the ground with his arms held to his back. I let my weight hold him down as I straddled his back and kept a firm grip on his arms. He was struggling like a maniac and snarling like a rabid hound out for meal after being starved for many days.

"… I remember," I finally said.

He stopped struggling and gave me an angry look, but he was satisfied.

"…But," I added and he stiffened, "if you brought me here to scare me, you're wrong."

He hissed and I narrowed my eyes on him.

"I defeated you that day. I know that I humiliated you when I took your honor and your position. I inhabited that room when I first came here till the day after I defeated you, but the day I defeated you, you snuck into my room and tried to rape me… but…"

I tightened the grip on his arm and pressed down harder, making him squirm and grunt in pain. He bared his fangs at me, showing his anger and hatred for me, but I ignored it.

"You are nothing compared to me, Hiten! Yes, I am a ningen and I was a mere girl when I first came here, but as you can see…"

I twisted his arm so hard I broke his bones, followed after by a scream of pain from him.

"I am no longer the weakling that I was!"

I let go of him and stepped away.

"…Ningens and youkai fear me alike. Ningens fear me for my cold-bloodedness in battle, and youkai… do you know why youkai fear me, Hiten?" I asked him icily, chilling him down to the core.

He remained silent but in pain.

"…You forget that I am also a miko. Youkai fear me because I can purify thousands into nothingness! I am strong and I am feared for reasons beyond anything you could ever imagine! Come at me again, and I assure you, there will nothing left of your damn carcass to leave to the lower youkai to feed on! Remember that…" I told him coldly.

He looked away and I began my trek back to my room.

"You…" he coughed and I stopped.

"…You are only ningen… Surrounded by youkai… Remember that…" he told me.

A warning… So that was why he brought me here…though it was a pointless.

I turned back to him and smirked at him, he froze and stared at me in intense fear.

"I know…"

I laughed and left him nursing his broken arm in fear and anger at me.

* * *

I stood outside Sesshomaru's bedroom, armorless. I expected him to be waiting in blistering anger for that little incident with Naraku earlier. No doubt he would be angry with me for it.

I knocked on the door and waited on baited breath. He would be merciless in bed with me, but it wasn't the pain that I was afraid of… it wasn't fear at all, but the hatred that stirred inside of me and the feeling of weakness that he made me feel whenever he took me.

There came no answer and I knocked again. No answer. I slid the door open and was surprised to see that he wasn't in.

"What are you doing here?"

I whipped around and felt my hand attack at its own accord. He grabbed it as it came close to his face. His amber eyes looked down at my hand than at me. He wore his white yukata, the one that he wore whenever he slept with me. It hung loosely on his body, held only together by the ties at his waist. It created an opening, showing his marble white chest, chiseled to perfection and aching for attention. I stared at it for a bit and returned to his clear golden eyes.

"It is too soon to kill me woman," he said bluntly.

I clenched my teeth to hold back any words that I wanted to bark at him. He pushed me into the room and slid the door closed behind him. He raised my hand up to his face and nuzzled it. Rather than pulling away in disgust, I let him do as he wanted. He was strong enough to bench press boulders, what was the use in pulling away?

A tongue darted out a left a trail of wet warmth on the palm of my hand down my arm, seeking out as much skin as he could get while moving away the sleeve of my shirt.

I was silent all the while, what did he want me to do?

He stopped suddenly when he reached the end of my forearm and looked at me.

"I have a mission for you."

I stood erect, planting my feet more firmly on the ground and my back straightened up. He tugged my hand lightly to his chest and planted it there, gently making my hand rub against his smooth warm skin. It made me feel light and fluttery, and I was already turning to putty in his hands. I was already losing my resolve. _Bastard_…

"Tomorrow, I will be attacking the northern borders for their land… but for you, there is a youkai by the name of Yura who is obsessed with hair…" he began.

He moved my hand down, taking the cloth with him, to his left nipple.

His voice lowered, sounding more lustful, "She has taken over one of my strongholds near the eastern border…"

With his fingers, he deftly moved my fingers about and pinched his own nipple. He hissed and closed his eyes in pleasure. The knot on my stomach twisted and liquid fire pooled between my legs. I tried to stay calm.

His eyes reopened with desire flooding them, "…She has slain all the youkai there…"

His breaths came in deep pants. I tried working my way around deeply panting, but somehow, it wasn't working. With his other hand, he undid his tie at his waist and it fell apart. I refused to look down; in fear that I would do something that I didn't want to do. What was he doing?

"…And she has taken their hair… her power… is hair…"

My hand, still led by his, slid down his chest, feeling every groove I came across and down his muscled abdomen. It shook as I lightly caressed it with my dull nails on reflex. He inhaled deeply and I think I whimpered.

"…I want you… to take care of her… understood?…"

He moved my hand further south and my eyes rushed to look up in his face to avoid the plunge into another night of heat and passion. No, I couldn't… no…

He wrapped my fingers around his hot, long, already-hard length. I spasmed, feeling something wet trail down one thigh, and broke into quick and deep pants. He tilted his head to the side a little with those droopy eyes in pleasure. His face was expressionless but those eyes… they told all… he wanted…

He moved my hand gently up and down his length, making it even harder than it was the previous stroke. With his other hand, he lifted it to my face and stroked my cheek passionately. I closed my eyes, hissing in his hot touch. I almost groaned in disappointment as he left my cheek and trailed down my neck. He caressed my shoulder a bit then moved down to cup my left breast through my shirt. My eyes snapped open as I felt his warm fluid slide between my fingers. The heat between my legs was pooling, it wanted relief. He massaged my breast until my nipples were erected and visible through the fabric. He lightly pinched it and I squeaked. He chuckled then moaned as I accidentally pressed down harder on his penis.

"Kagome…" he moaned.

He started to make my fingers stroke him harder and faster. He suddenly ripped my shirt off, baring my bare breasts to the heat between the two of us, making my nipples even harder. His hand slid behind my back and pushed me against him, all the while still pumping himself with my hand. He shredded my pants and left me naked from top to bottom. Somewhere in the shredding, his yukata fell and left him as bare as I was. His hand found its way down my back, around my buttocks and in between my nether lips. I bit my lips to stop the sounds that wanted to come out as he rubbed me so delicately in the right places.

"Kagome… answer me…" he managed out in between his heavy breathing and moans.

I bit down even harder and tasted blood. He suddenly slipped a finger inside my wetness and I moaned in ecstasy. He had won. I was suddenly making noises that I had refused to make and Sesshoumaru was making grunting noises as he fucked my hand and had me fuck his now three inserted fingers.

"Oh… Kagome…"

He licked the blood flowing from my lips and then kissed me deeply.

I felt it coming. I was going to cum soon. Our lips sought out each other, our tongues battled for dominance. He pushed us even closer together and reveled in the sweat and heat pouring off our bodies. I was in pleasure and I hated it as much as I wanted it.

I screamed as soon as my orgasm hit and Sesshoumaru followed suit. My wet fluids covered his whole hand and trailed down between my legs. His hot seed sprayed all over my lower abdomen and trickled down my thighs, mingling with my own fluids.

We leaned against each other, panting for breath and satiated from our little activity.

"Do I… make myself… clear… Kagome?" he said between breaths.

"…Yes…" I panted.

"Good…"

He removed his hand from mine and from between my legs. He licked off the seed from our lovemaking and was satisfied. We stood against one another for a span of minutes, taking in the heat from each other's bodies and taking in air against each other's hot and sweaty skin.

"Kagome…" he finally spoke.

I looked up at him. His eyes were dancing with desire. I felt his limp penis come to life and pulse hard in my hand.

"I want you… to taste me… down there…" he grunted hoarsely.

I narrowed my eyes on him, but he merely looked at me with desire. I got down to my knees and stared at the protruding manhood that erected in front of my face. I grabbed it with both my hands and he groaned as I darted out a tongue to lick off the fluids dripping off the tip of his penis and all around.

"Suck on it…" I could hear him hiss in pleasure.

I hesitated a moment, knowing how large it was in width and length. I almost gagged each time I did oral on him. He was simply too big for my mouth and between my legs, but somehow, it always seemed to fit. I opened my mouth and took him in. I suckled on it hard, earning a whimper from him.

"Ah… yes…" he moaned as I fed off of him.

Only moans of pleasure were heard the rest of that night between the two of us. Somehow, no matter what, I would always lose to him… but whatever I lost now could be made up for later…yes, for later…

* * *

yukata – robe worn in the house and to sleep


	10. Chapter 10

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Ten**_

_By PhoenixBlade_

* * *

Youkai can hear well and see well in the dark, much better than ningens could. That was why I left this morning. It mattered not if you attacked them day or night so to get the day over with, might as well start early.

Yura was a comb/hair youkai and was obsessed with hair, like Hiten's brother, Manten, who was ugly and bald, but had an obsession with hair. Unlike Yura though, Manten was picky, he wanted the hair of virgin females to make a hair tonic for him so he could grow hair to become handsome.

The thought of hair on that thing was atrocious, but far safer than Yura as I could tell. She used anyone's hair (and skulls) that she took a liking to and killed the person for it. Her attacks were done with hair so the question was, how do I take care of a youkai with hair power?

I stopped. I was in a forest and all was quiet. That was unusual. There was someone following me, and had done so since I had entered the forest a while back. I unsheathed my sword and turned around to face whoever it was. There was noone there. I felt a dark presence beside me and recognized it right away. I quickly struck the side and fell a large tree, but the person who was there jumped away to where my gaze was originally. I turned back on him as the loud sound of the fallen tree hit the ground.

Leaves and dirt flew up everywhere around us as we stared at each other in silence. He wore a white baboon pelt and had all his face, save for his mouth, covered. I saw a faint smile on the other figure's lips. He thought it was funny.

I narrowed my eyes on him, "Naraku! Why have you followed me!"

He laughed and pulled back his mask. I held back a gasp as I looked upon Naraku's lovely but pale face. Sure enough, it was Naraku, from his long wavy black tresses down to the black soles of his boots. He looked ghostly amongst the scenery, making him look more eerie. My miko powers inside of me were stirring at the presence of him.

"Just as I had expected from a miko! I'm impressed Kagome!" he chuckled.

Kagome?

I scoffed, "You waste my time Naraku!"

"Oh? And just where were you going?" he asked.

"…You are in my way," I told him.

I raised my sword and got into an attack stance.

"…I do not let things stand in my way."

He smirked at me.

I frowned and started forward quickly. As I came up to Naraku, I twirled quickly to the side to surprise him there. He dodged it and I ripped of his baboon pelt instead but somehow, he grabbed me from behind. My sword clanked to the ground as he wrapped his arms tighter around me. I struggled and he held on even tighter, tight enough to hold me, but not enough to make me not be able to breathe.

Damn! I let down my defense around him!

I tried using his weight to pull myself up and over him, but he lifted me off the ground. He was at least a head taller than me but shorter than Sesshoumaru, so I was left helpless and dangling in his hold. I became aware of a warm breath at my ear.

"What-what are you doing?" I yelled and struggled even more.

Naraku chuckled, but refused to answer. Instead, he dug his nose into my hair and took a large whiff of it. He then moved his lips down to my neck and caressed one spot with his lips. I felt a smile tug on his lips against my skin and he kissed it before pulling away to my ear.

In a quiet and lustful voice, he said, "You smell wonderful… kitten..."

I felt his tongue lick around the shell of my ear and settled back down to my neck, taking a taste there as well. I went still and quiet in his arms, waiting for a chance to strike back.

"And you taste delicious…. So sweet…" he murmured near my ear.

Just a little longer… just a little bit longer…

His grip on me relaxed a little. A weakness!

I felt his tongue work its way in the patch of skin over my collarbone and…

"It's no wonder why you belong to Sesshoumaru…"

When I felt the graze of his fangs over my neck and his hands loosen to turn me around, I took the chance and jumped away before he could grab me, but his fangs had cut into my skin. Retrieving my sword, but my hand automatically went up to the bleeding cut. I winced in pain as I stared up at Naraku from several meters away. There was blood dripping on his lips, MY blood. He licked his lips, but a small trickle of blood escaped his tongue. He lifted a finger and wiped it off.

I growled at him.

"Temper, temper or else I'll have to take more of your blood to calm you…" he smirked.

He looked at the blood on his finger and like a seductive lover, he lovingly licked it away and moaned while staring at me all the while.

"Mmm… Sweet and tangy… Delicious…" he grinned.

I began to tremble. I didn't know why, but I just started to. I wasn't afraid of him, but I didn't like him at all. I hated him, but not enough. There were three men in this world whom I hated: Kami-sama, Sesshoumaru and… _that man_… but Naraku, surprisingly enough, wasn't hated enough to fit in there anywhere… but nevertheless, if there was a fourth, he would be in that slot.

"Why, my little one, you're shivering? Perhaps I will have to warm your naked body by rubbing it against mine in the throes of passion-"

"Shut it!" I screamed.

His smirked. Screw this, even if he was Sesshoumaru's ally or some shit, I was going to kill the guy for being an annoyance!

"Why are you following me, you bastard?" I demanded to know.

The man was infuriating. He looked up and smiled, as if he knew some deep dark secret and wanted me to beg for it.

I gripped tightly onto my sword, "Answer me!"

He looked back at me with the same smile, but his eyes were mischievous, "They've arrived."

I gave him a questioning look, "Who's arrived?"

What was he doing?

Then I felt it. Seven presences, all dark and were radiating immense strength. Perhaps, I could take two or three of them, but seven?

"Seven, seven of them… Where are they, Naraku? Who are they?"

Naraku's smirk refused to waver, "They are… here for you…"

I immediately got into a defense stance. Was he going to have me be killed by them?

"Chi-chikuso…" I swore under my breath.

"Relax my little feline," Naraku assured me, which really wasn't comforting coming from him, "My men are here to be yours to command."

"What?"

I was surprised. Was he joking? What the hell was he talking about?

There was suddenly a rush of such dark power that it made me feel nauseous. My miko powers were on edge the whole time Naraku was here, but these seven were making it flare about wildly inside me. I felt like I was going to explode from it. When the nausea went away a little, I looked back up and saw seven men bowing down behind Naraku. That overconfident smirk was still plastered on his lips.

"They are a little, shall we say, present for you from me. These men will serve you in my stead. They will be loyal to you and only you, though, I may have need of them once in a while, but when they are not with me, they shall be yours to command and to protect you," explained Naraku.

"I need no such help-" I started.

"My lady," came the voice of the one who was bowing beside Naraku and apparently, I assumed, was the leader of the group.

He sat up and I got a good look at him. He had long dark hair that was braided and a cross-shaped mark on his forehead. He wore white clothes and armor. On the ground beside him was a large sword, presumably his.

"I am Bankotsu, leader of the Shinchinin-Tai," he introduced himself.

I held back a gasp of surprise, "Shinchinin-Tai? Are you not the great mercenary scourge of the Northeast Provinces?"

He nodded, "My lady has heard of us. Yes, we are the… "scourge" of the Northeastern Provinces. We were mercenaries, but we were hunted down by the daimyo like dogs because we were becoming too powerful and they feared us. They chased us and had us trapped, but luckily, Naraku came and helped us free. We are indebted to him and have given him our services."

I looked at Naraku but he just looked back at me with a smirk. Naraku? A savior?

"As we are indebted to Naraku-sama for our lives, if he wishes us to pledge our loyalty to you as well, you must be someone of worth in his standing. As we have no choice but to give you our services as well, please accept us, my lady," he pleaded and bowed to me.

I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. What could I say? I was being offered the Shinchinin-Tai, one of the most ruthless and powerful mercenary groups in the land, and here they were, bowing at my heels to accept them… They could be useful… but what did Naraku want? What scheme did he have up his sleeves?

"What game are you playing at, Naraku? What manner of trickery is this?" I accused at him.

He chuckled, "Kagome-dono, surely you cannot be so disrespectful as to treat me with such discourtesy, a guest of your great Sesshoumaru-sama. What I am doing is being nice."

"Nice? I highly doubt that," I bit down on nice.

His smarmy look was replaced with one of intense seriousness and dissatisfaction.

"You insult me, Shikon," his voice lowered darkly, "I am giving you gifts and yet you accuse me of trickery."

He was serious. A dark and angry aura was flickering about madly around Naraku. My miko powers were reacting violently to it, wanting to fight it and purify it, but I couldn't. If it somehow killed Naraku, it was more than possible that the Shinchinin-Tai would kill me. I could take at most three of them perhaps maybe even four if I held up my strength, but the rest would kill me.

I sighed and bowed my head in apology, "My apologies Naraku-sama, but I am someone who is not so quick and trusting to accept things from people who are of your…. standards…. For your forgiveness, I will accept your gift."

I looked up and saw Naraku's lips spread into a grin of satisfaction. He was playing me. He wanted me to accept his so-called "gifts," and acted serious on purpose. I doubt it that he was actually offended.

"Very well. You shall have my forgiveness, but in return, I would like you to cease calling me with such distaste in your voice, is that understood?"

I nodded, "As you wish… Naraku."

He smiled again, "Good, then I shall leave you with another present. One that I think you will like very much."

Another present?

From behind him, he pulled a bag and threw it at me. I was cautious in case it was something bad. I looked at him and he gave me a go-ahead-and-open-it smirk. Slowly but hesitantly, I picked it up and opened it. Inside was a crushed red skull and pieces of a broken comb. A few strands of hair were woven into the broken teeth of pieces of the comb. Wait a minute… This was…

I looked back up at Naraku who was, all the while, smiling.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

I gulped and looked back in to make sure. Sure enough, it was. It was the skull of Yura of the Hair and her infamous comb, supposedly said to be her soul. What was shocking and disturbing was that he had killed her. What was even more shocking and disturbing was that he had done it for me. He had something up his sleeve, I was sure of it, but whatever the reason was, I didn't know.

I tied the bag up and nodded at Naraku, who seemed pleased with himself. How he knew I was supposed to go after her was a mystery and the thought of him watching Sesshoumaru and me fuck or hearing us makes noises in his room was disturbing. He was some sort of pervert and got his kicks out of strange things. No, I didn't want to know if he did or didn't see or hear us, but I did want to know how he found out about Sesshoumaru's mission for me. Yura was no big deal for a mission assigned only to me, but the fact remains that he could hear everything and it put all my plans in jeopardy. The man was more than he seemed.

Naraku bowed to me slightly with a smile on his face, "Until then, my feisty wildcat…"

He disappeared in a wisp of dark smoke. I shuddered, feeling goosebumps and my hair rise up from the time spent on talking with Naraku. The Shinchinin-Tai remained where they were. What was I to do with them?

"Rise," I commanded.

They all rose from their positions and gave me their undivided attention. They were all of different shapes and sizes. All were marked, had markings, armor and strange weapons among other strange things. The only one in my eyes who looked normal or average, if you could even call it that, was the leader who introduced himself as Bankotsu and another who had brown hair.

"What are your names?" I asked them.

Bankotsu came forward to me and got down to one knee, "As said before, I am Bankotsu, the leader of the Shinchinin-Tai."

Another man in a blue outfit and a blue cloth wrapped around his head came forward. He had two purple markings beginning at his forehead and going down past his eyes down his cheeks. "I am Renkotsu, the second in command of the Shinchinin-Tai."

The next looked much like a girl with pins in his hair, wearing a purple outfit and scarf. From the bottom of his eyelids running down his cheeks were also two purple streaks. "I am Jakotsu, third in command of the Shinchinin-Tai."

A fat, small round man wearing white and a white cloth across his face came forward, "I am Mukotsu, Poison Specialist of the Shinchinin-Tai."

A man who looked to be plain came and rested in front of me. Though he looked to be kind and gentle, I suspected that he was more than he seemed. "I am called Suikotsu of the Shinchinin-Tai."

A large brute with green hair stepped forward and presented himself. "I am Kyoukotsu of the Shinchinin-Tai."

The last, a very large man or thing made partly of metal, bowed and bellowed, "I… Ginkotsu!"

They all got to their knees and Bankotsu came forward and took my hand. He got down on one knee, as if he was proposing, but instead, he held my hand in both of his. Compared to his hands, mine were smaller. He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it.

He looked up and me and pressed the palm of my hand to his heart, "As long as this heart beats, we shall follow you as Naraku-sama has ordered us to, and guard you with our lives if yours depends on it. We will follow you to the ends of the Earth, our lady, Kagome-sama. What you tell us to do, we will do so without hesitation."

I looked at all of them, bowing down at me again. What was I to do? Sesshoumaru would get suspicious if he saw them prancing around with me.

"…Very well. Shinchinin-Tai, I order you all to stay in the shadows. I want none of you to be in contact with me directly or even be near me unless if I call for you, understood?" I ordered them.

A unison of "Yes, Kagome-sama," rang through my ears.

"Good, dismiss!"

They all got up, bowed to me and disappeared. I then collapsed down to my knees. This was too intense… Naraku seemed to want me. Sesshoumaru already had me and Hiten, in his own way, hated and lusted after me. What more could men, whom I detested, want to do with me? On top of that, I gained control of the Shinchinin-tai, one of the most feared groups around. What was I to do with them?…

A sudden thought came to mind and I liked it. A smile came to my lips. Perhaps… perhaps it wouldn't be so bad after all…

* * *

chikuso - an exclamation, similar examples in english are: Damn! Shit! Darn it! etc...


	11. Chapter 11

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Eleven**_

_By PhoenixBlade_

* * *

Soon… soon it would be the six years that they were taken away from me and my life… six years… and around this time, I got very moody…

I returned to the palace with Yura's skull in tow. I presented it to Sesshoumaru in front of his court. They gasped at Yura's broken skull and whispered amongst themselves. Sesshoumaru took the skull without hesitation and without even so much of a word, he melted it with his poison from his claws.

"You have done well, Shikon," he said, oblivious to the fact that I had not killed her, "as always… but I have another mission for you."

I bowed my head, awaiting my orders.

"It has been brought to my attention that there seems to be a man, a ningen perhaps, who is gaining fame and strength from what we have heard from ears of our youkai hiding amongst the ningens. It has been said that he wields a blade that can slay a thousand youkai. I want you to go investigate this matter," he told me.

Investigate?

My bowed head rose to look at him. He had on a stoic and expressionless face, not usually something that he planted on his face when he looked at me.

One of the youkai lords spoke up, "My lord, wouldn't it be better if we killed off this ningen you speak of? In case he may be stronger than-"

Sesshoumaru turned his attention on the youkai and glared him into silence. Something he had not done in a while.

"Though the ningens are a weak race, they may yet have something up their sleeves. I would like to know where their strengths are and crush them. This ningen may yet be just another simpleton, but we must be wary for he may be more than he seems…"

I looked at the youkai who Sesshoumaru glared down. Though his eyes were downcast, he looked scared stiff.

"Shikon!"

I went back to Sesshoumaru.

"You will investigate this matter. I will expect a full report when you return," he ordered me.

"As you wish," I bowed.

"…Will you kill me, my Kagome?" he asked.

I clenched my teeth and held back the anger flooding forth. I looked up at him. Strangely enough, that playful smirk was no longer there. In its place was that expressionless face that held nothing in them. His eyes though, held something different. Still, even if his attitude changed, he was still the same bastard as before.

I bowed my head, "…Not yet."

There were murmurs and whispering in the court. Although many knew now of our strange talk, it was something that still annoyed them as it showed that I had some power, a ningen, in a youkai court.

I stood up, bowed and left. As soon as I left the court and away from the palace, I fled to a forest near Sesshoumaru's land, I ventured in and went on a mad wood-chopping spree. I screamed and felled many trees and overturned much of the Earth there. After a while, I stopped and fell to my knees on the dirty forest floor. The tears that wanted to spring forth never came. At times like these, I had wanted to cry, to give into my pathetic ningen self and show the world that I was indeed weak, but they never came. I had trained myself much too well to never cry again, instead, I screamed and pounded the earth until there was a small crater beneath where I was.

After I stopped and caught my breath, I felt the presence of Bankotsu behind me.

"My lady…" he began with concern in his voice

Was he worried? About me? I choked back a laugh.

I smirked at my "little" show of anger and then turned to Bankotsu when the smirk faded.

Oddly enough, he was polite enough to wait for me to reply back to him.

"What is it?" I breathed.

He bit down on his lip, as if to stop himself from saying something stupid, but continued on seeing that I was waiting for his return, "Is there a problem that you would like us to deal with for you?"

Was he… comforting me?

I looked away from him to the blue and cloudless sky. The trees no longer obstructed my view because they had been cut away in the midst of my anger. I sighed and closed my eyes.

"…My lady?"

I snapped my eyes open and looked at Bankotsu.

I smiled at him and surprised him and myself. He was the second person whom I had smiled genuinely to since Inuyasha. In all my six years, I had thought that I no longer knew how to smile, but somehow, these things seemed to creep up on me when I least expected it.

"Come here and help me up, Bankotsu," I told him, but it sounded more like a plea.

He rushed over and guided me to my feet. I brushed the dirt, pieces of wood and leaves off my armor and clothes.

"Lady Shikon, what will my punishment be?" he asked as I dusted off my gauntlet.

I stopped and looked at him. He was down on one knee with one arm on it and the other was fisted on the ground. He looked serious.

"You disobeyed me and came to me without me calling you, am I correct?"

He nodded.

I looked away and went in search of finding my sword which I carelessly threw away in the midst of my anger. I found it under a bunch of branches. I took out my cleaning cloth and began wiping off the dirt on the sword. I delayed replying to Bankotsu and continued cleaning my sword. When it looked clean enough and was able to once again reflect against the light I rose it up and looked at Bankotsu's reflection in the sword.

"…Do you want to be punished?" I asked him.

He bowed his head in shame, "I have disobeyed you."

I turned around and sheathed my sword. I walked over and kneeled next to him. He looked up and was surprised by my actions. I didn't know what I was doing either. My mind was blank but my body was telling me that I needed this. I wrapped my arms around his back and hugged him. He was taken back a bit but seeing as how I didn't let him go, he hesitantly put his around me and hugged me back. I closed my eyes and let myself drift soundlessly in the warmth of his body and the faint beating of his heart. It had been too long since I allowed another man to hug me since I was younger, not in passion, but in relief and comfort.

* * *

Later that day, I had packed up my things and set out on my next mission. As the night soon rolled in, I set up camp and put up spells to ward of youkai. Then I called for Bankotsu. He appeared from the darkness of the trees and bowed to me.

I nodded my head and told him to sit. He sat down on the other side of the crackling fire. I watched his face as he stared at the fire, unsure of his fate. After I had hugged him earlier that day, I told him to leave until I called for him. Now, he was worried.

"The other members of the Shinchinin-Tai…" I began and he looked at me.

"My brothers," he seemed to correct me.

"Your brothers…" I echoed, "they seem to care for you."

He pursed his lips, unsure of how to answer me. He looked back at the fire.

"We take care of one another. We are… like family…"

Family…

A picture of Souta and my mother came to mind.

"And if one of your brothers were to fall in battle… What would you do?" I asked him.

He continued looking at the fire, "We… I… would mourn him and exact revenge…"

"Even if it meant killing the one whom you served, but had him killed in the first place?" I said.

He looked up, shocked and confused by the question. I smiled back for the second time today.

"Do not worry, you have already dealt with your punishment, if you can call it that," I told him.

He looked confused, but no longer shocked.

"What you did was a minor thing, and there was no other youkai around, so it had done no harm… and as for your punishment… It was a spur of the moment," I said.

He blinked then seemed to realize what it was. His face reddened a little then he bowed to me, "My apologies my lady, but is that punishment not severe enough for me to disobey you?"

"…"

There was a silence between us. He was making too big of a deal out of this. The chirping of crickets and other nightcrawlers escaped into the night and surrounded us with noise. Bankotsu shifted uneasily from where he sat. Perhaps he was man who preferred the company of men better.

Suddenly, a small glow appeared around us, several small glows that faded in and out and dove in and out of the trees.

Bankotsu noticed and looked up at them, "Fireflies."

It had been a while since I had seen them. I used to sneak out at night to watch them when I was a kid. Souta, my brother, would follow me too and watch them with me.

I smiled and looked at Bankotsu who looked back, "Very well. The second half of your punishment is to catch one for me."

He gave me an odd look, as if he thought I was out of my mind, but nodded. In less than ten seconds, he caught one and came to me with one hand covering the other. He opened his hands slowly and I caught a glimpse of the light of the firefly as it rested on his hand. Oddly enough, the light it emitted seemed to quell any anger and frustrations that came at me and all seemed right in the world… for a brief moment. When Bankotsu took off his hand, it flew away to return to the other fireflies. Bankotsu took a step towards it before I stopped him.

"You don't need to go after it, that was enough," I assure him.

He turned around with a look of confusion on his face.

"Just as you need to return to your brothers, that one needs to return to its brothers as well," I told him and he understood, bowing to me.

* * *

I listened to Bankotsu the rest of the night, telling about each of his brothers and the journeys that they all went on together. I laughed when he laughed and quieted when he was serious. He was the youngest of them all, the same age as me, but they all called him aniki, their big brother instead of their leader. He was respected, but he did not think himself as a great leader. They considered each other as equals and as family…

* * *

About five days later, I made my way to the bustling town of Shaffir, which was the next closest city nearest the capitol where I was supposed to go to find this ningen whom Sesshoumaru spoke of. The man was supposedly powerful and wielded a strong weapon. He held a high reputation and was the son of a great general and a princess. Sesshoumaru took me aside later and presented the real reason for the investigation. He wanted the sword, if it was indeed the one which he had been searching for, the Tetsusaiga…

A small boy bumped into me and mumbled apologies and began to rush off, but before he could, I grabbed him.

"Hey! Let go of me!" he yelled.

People turned to look and some whispered. He held something in his hand and I grabbed his hand. He looked at me with an innocent look on his face. I let the dark aura in me flare and pushed it onto the boy. He started to tense up and stiffened.

"This belongs to me," I told him coldly.

He froze in fear and let me take back my money.

"…Boy, if I see you again, I will not be so kind in granting mercy," I hissed and he nodded quickly in fear.

I could see tears welling up in his eyes. I let him go and he dashed off, scared out of his wits. I heard people whisper "cold-hearted" and "scary woman" but I ignored them. They must have felt my aura as I used it onto the boy.

I kept walking and bumped into somebody. Without apologizing, I walked on. Ningens were indeed dumb creatures, and I hated to be around them as much as I hated to be around youkai.

"Hey! You there! Girly!" someone shouted at me.

I blatantly ignored them and walked on. Someone grabbed my shoulder and I let them whip me around.

"Apologize! Unless if you want to see the full might of our anger, you'd better apologize!" it was a soldier who spoke.

I looked past him and saw five more soldiers who looked at me with disgust at my attire. I was dressed in ningen armor that I acquired a while back. I forgot that women weren't allowed to be soldiers.

"What are you, gender-confused? Women can't just prance around like they have power!" one of the soldiers sneered at me.

People began to look and talk about the situation.

The soldier with a hand on my shoulder began to push me back but I stood firm and he was struggling as if trying to push a mountain.

"What the-"

I grabbed him arm tightly and threw him over me and to the ground.

"Seki!" one soldier shouted.

"Why you- I'm gonna show you your place, girly!" another shouted at me.

I smirked and let him come.

"Stop! I command you all to stop!" came a vaguely familiar voice.

The soldiers stopped except for the one who came at me. He lunged at me and I ducked and punched his jaw. He fell backwards and choked.

"You dumbass! I told you to stop!" came the voice again.

Who was it?

I turned to look and saw a flash of silver and froze.

What-

Then I looked again and saw two fluffy ears on his head. He was dressed in armor and seemed to be of a high position. I watched as he scolded the soldiers into submission and made them walk away with their tails between their legs. I caught the word "general" from one of the soldiers to him. I would never have guessed that he rose so high in ranks already, being the son of a general and all…

After they left, he turned to me and looked surprised.

"Kagome!" he gasped.

I smiled to him, "Inuyasha-sama. How are you?"

He smiled back at me, "Very well, but what about you? Are you hurt anywhere?"

"Although I was attacked by mongrels, it is safe to say that I am unharmed."

He shook his head in disbelief, "I'm terribly sorry about that. My men should show more courtesy for a lady. As an apology, I'd like to do something for you in return for your troubles… Oh! Are you busy?"

I shook my head, let him think I was a mere wandering miko as I had let him think so before.

He seemed delighted to hear that, "Good! You must come to my castle and dine with me tonight, as my guest! You did, afterall, save me and bury my father and his men…"

I bowed to him, "If Inuyasha-sama says so, I cannot refuse."

He gave me his hand, "Please, call me Inuyasha."

I took his hand, "Very well, Inuyasha."

He led the way. Maybe he could help me find this person I had to investigate


	12. Chapter 12

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Twelve**_

_By PhoenixBlade_

* * *

After Inuyasha showed me around his castle, he took me to the dining room and we sat down for dinner. The room was furnished in simple colors and designs but kept a feeling of calmness and tranquility in the air. I then noticed how small the room was when I realized that dinner was just the two of us.

"How do you like it here so far, Kagome-dono?" he asked.

I shrugged, "I have been to many places, it is all the same to me."

"Oh…" he said, disheartened.

There was a short silence and I decided to change the subject.

"I have heard, that there is a great man who is rising in name around the capitol. Is it true?" I asked.

Inuyasha looked up in interest, "Are you… interested in this man?"

_I had this distinct feeling…_

I blinked, "I am… curious. I have heard the… townspeople talk nothing but of this man."

"Really?" he asked, suddenly all too interested.

_That this man…_

I nodded, "I would just like to meet him…"

He quirked an eyebrow, "He sounds like quite the man if you want to meet him."

_Whom I had to seek out…._

"Yes."

"And what would you say to this man if you met him?"

_Was actually…_

"I would say to him that he must be a good man, strong and was born from good parents to be so great and understanding to the people and so well-trusted by the emperor," I replied.

_The man who…_

"He is a man who lives for the people and he loved his parents dearly…"

"Oh?" I feigned interest, in hopes that I could get an answer out one way or the other, "and does this man love anyone else?… a woman perhaps?"

_Was now…_

He looked down with a blush, "He is not sure."

"Why not?"

_The one who sat in front of me…_

"Because he doesn't know how to talk to the beautiful woman who now sits in front of him…"

_Yes, it was him…_

I blinked and he looked away.

I faked hesitation, "Inuyasha-sama. I am… flattered… but I have to say that I cannot return your feelings. I am afterall, a wandering miko. I… am needed by the people."

He turned back to me, face flushed red and stammered, "N-no! I apologize Kagome-dono, but I don't mean it in that way! I was… was just complimenting you on your beauty! Don't take it wrong! I am… not interested b-because I already have a… a fiancee."

I rose an eyebrow.

Waving it aside, I smiled, "My lord, you are like a child… but thank you for the explanation."

He blushed.

So… that man was him. Sesshoumaru would so be pleased with this and surprised that the man was General Hlub Neeg's son.

I smirked and pried more information from Inuyasha the rest of the night just to make sure. Indeed, it was he whom I had sought out.

"After my father died. I returned to the capitol and took my father's place. I served the emperor unconditionally and helped the people of the kingdom. I just wanted to help people and keep my father's name in good graces, but I guess I got caught up in it too much and didn't notice what was happening around me. Before I knew it, I got really popular with everyone," he laughed at himself.

"Really? I hear great things about you… and about your impressive fighting skills with your sword," I said.

The sword… Does he have it? I must see it to prove it… If it is indeed in his hands…

He blushed hard, "W-well… I'm a good fighter but not that good!"

"Oh…" I said faking disappointment.

"B-but if you would like," he came back, "I… I could show you the sword!"

I let a smile slowly spread on my lips, "I would like that very much."

He led me to his weaponry room and he took me into another smaller and locked room. In there, on a white marble pedestal, was a rusty looking sword.

This…this was the powerful and indestructible sword that the almighty Sesshoumaru-sama wanted? Looking at it more, it looked like an old piece of junk to me, the same one I saw with him on that day…

He laughed hesitantly when he saw the disappointment on my face, "It really doesn't look like much… but this sword… helped me strike down a thousand youkai all in one strike… and it was a gift from my father."

I looked at him, "You have not used it since then."

He looked at me, "No, I haven't. It seemed like there was too much power in my hands and this is a part of my father, his gift to me, I don't want to damage it. Ever since I used it to kill the thousand youkai, I got famous and I put it away. I don't want my skills to be judged all because of a sword…"

I suddenly grew daring. It could strike down a thousand youkai? That would indeed come in handy, for there were youkai who had the strength of a thousand youkai…

"But my lord, this is a gift from you father… Perhaps it would be best if you were to use your father's gift than to merely put it aside to rust," I told him.

He shook his head and seemed frustrated, "My father's gift… If I had used it before, I could have saved his life… If I had been stronger and more powerful… If my father had given it to me before he died and not willed it to me after his death, I could have saved all their lives, my father and his men! I used it because of its power… but what if desire for more power drives me insane? When I held the sword in my hands, I felt it as if it was a part of me and I could feel the strength it emitted through my hands. It was overwhelming, like an addiction! I liked it! Can you understand? I liked it and it scares me!"

He was trembling. He wanted to be stronger and once he had a taste of power, it scared him as much as he wanted it… and he would need it to make my plans work.

I touched him gently on the shoulder and he stopped trembling. He looked at me and I put on the most sincere and gentle smiles that I could. I looked at him in the eyes and could see my reflection there, an angelic woman who was as pure as they came, perhaps it was what he thought of me as well.

"Inuyasha-sama… you wanted to save your father… his men… and yet you couldn't… but you have saved many people with this sword… Isn't it enough? You can save people with this sword… The power… can be overwhelming, but you can do it. Perhaps not for your father, but for yourself, you can be a great person and save people. You father's gift was not meant to rot here in this place and be forgotten, it was meant to be used as your father had intended if he meant to give it to you. This sword was meant to protect people and you. Your father did this out of love for his son…"

He looked at me in awe, "Kagome-dono…"

"Do not let his death and this sword go to waste," I told him.

He looked at me a bit, then recovered himself.

He flashed a boyish smile at me, "Thank you… Kagome-dono… You've made me understand now… Thank you so much…"

I bowed to him, "Your welcome, Inuyasha-sama."

He stopped me by placing a hand on my arm, "No, my lady, please call me Inuyasha."

I looked up and he tore his hand back sheepishly with cheeks burning red, like a little schoolboy with a crush on his schoolteacher.

"If my lord would call me Kagome," I returned and smiled.

He smiled back.

Yes, things were definitely working out…

* * *

Inuyasha begged me to stay for the night and I did, after much pleading. He showed me to my room in the guest quarters and hesitantly wished me a good night with a blush before he left. The room was large with furnishings, furniture and a big bed. It had a forest feel, but made me feel at peace and unburdened. The windows were covered with long draperies and there was even a large balcony. I walked out and leaned against the railing. Even the view of the moon was spectacular.

"Bankotsu," I called out.

I felt his presence behind me. I turned and saw him on his knees, bowing to me, his superior. He then rose his head after I grunted, showing him that I noticed his presence.

"What is it that my lady wishes?" he asked.

"Tell me, what is happening at the palace?" I asked.

I had a feeling that something else was happening at the palace. Sesshoumaru didn't usually give me investigation jobs for any reason. In fact, he rarely gave me any investigation jobs as the deadlines for them were usually long. I felt that there was something happening without my knowledge, and had ordered Bankotsu and his men to see what was happening back at the palace.

"Since your absence, Sesshoumaru-sama has gone to the north to take care of problems that has arisen after he had conquered the land up there," he said.

I rose an eyebrow, "That is interesting. Sesshoumaru was not usually one to go and take care of his problems himself. He would usually send someone over."

"…I have been told once by a youkai that some male youkai tend to act more once they think that something of theirs is threatened…" he put in.

"Your point?" I asked in annoyance.

I had no idea what he meant or perhaps somewhere deep down, I unconsciously knew what he meant, but did not want to think more on it. Whatever the reason, it didn't do much for me to care.

"My forgiveness, my lady. I just thought you'd like to know," he bowed apologetically.

I shook my head, "Never mind. Anything else?"

He looked up at me, his face serious and telling me of more things at work, "… Recently, there was a guest from the Eastern Lands."

I became more alert, "Eastern lands? Who?"

"I don't know, but this guest seemed very important," he replied.

"Really?"

Sesshoumaru was not one who would hide me away when he had guests over. He usually flaunted me off and had me intimidate them despite the fact that he intimidated them himself even more. What was going on?

"Hmm… Bankotsu, I want you to have your men continue watching the palace and find out what you can about this guest," I told him.

He nodded and I dismissed him after he bowed once more in respect to me. I leaned back on the railing and looked up at the dark and starry sky. Something was amiss at the palace and Sesshoumaru was doing what he could to keep me away. What was going on?


	13. Chapter 13

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Thirteen**_

_by PhoenixBlade_

* * *

The smell of burning incense and the faint sounds of praying filled the air of the shrine. I bowed in respect and chanted a short prayer. Today was the anniversary of my family's death. Hard to believe it that I was actually at a shrine for the first time in a long time, since their death I believe. I left Inuyasha's castle early that morning and made my way to the town's shrine which was just on the outskirts of the town. The shrine was large and simple, not too extravagant, but it still brought in visitors daily.

After finishing the prayer, I bowed once more, got up and started to leave the shrine. To the side of me, the flames on the candles started to flicker vicariously and the paper charms seemed to ruffle from the passing wind despite it being a nice day with no wind. My presence didn't seem to be very welcomed at the shrine.

"Ano… are you here to pay respects to a deceased one?"

I turned to the speaker. She was a middle aged woman dressed in miko clothes, unmistakably one of the mikos of the shrine.

I turned away, "Hai… something like that."

"Oh… my deepest sympathies…" she said and bowed in sympathy for me.

I looked at her and held back a scoff of annoyance. How dare she pity me! I bowed my head slightly and headed off.

"Oh! Are you a traveling miko?" she asked just as I started towards the exit.

Damn miko… leave me alone…

I stopped and turned, flashing her a bright smile, fake of course.

I nodded, "Just a humble miko passing by…"

She smiled, "Oh, I see… Well, if you would like, if you've no place to turn in for the night, we would be most honored if you would stay and share the stories of your travels with us!"

"Not necessary," I jumped in suddenly.

She seemed a little taken back by my response, as if I had just slapped her. I didn't want to stay here. I was unwelcomed already by the shrine. If I stayed here for the night, it might raise questions.

"Not necessary because I have already offered her a place to stay at," a voice chimed in.

We turned to look and saw Inuyasha arriving with a houshi with short tied back hair at his side.

The miko bowed in respect to him and he held a hand up to stop her.

"Please miko-sama, there is no need for that," he smiled.

"But you are a great man that is worthy of our respect here, Inuyasha-sama!" she chuckled, "and many thanks then, for housing a fellow traveling follower of the way for us. Kami-sama will thank you greatly for your kindness."

Inuyasha laughed hesitantly while scratching his head, "It was nothing. I was returning the favor for a service that Kagome-dono had done for my father and his men."

The miko looked at me and was impressed, "Oh, I see… then are you here to pay respects for your father as well?"

Inuyasha shook his head, "Not today. I am here to escort Kagome-dono to her destination."

I bowed my head a little to him and the houshi nudged him in the side with a smile on his face. Inuyasha's face turned beet red. With a short farewell, we exited the shrine.

"Well, that's odd," I heard another miko say to the middle aged miko as we walked away.

"What is it?" the middle aged one asked.

She answered, "The paper charms and the candlelight aren't jumping around anymore. The tension in the shrine seems to have quelled…"

Their voices faded away and returned to Inuyasha introducing the two of us. The houshi's name was Miroku and seemed o be a bit of a playboy. Oddly enough, he seemed surprised to see me (more like he couldn't believe what he was seeing for whatever reason it was), but his surprised face melted into that of a calm man and he proceeded in trying to grope me while introducing himself. Inuyasha happily took the liberty of avenging my womanly honor and left the houshi with a bruise and lowered morale. After the incident, they began talking of their work.

"Ne, Inuyasha-sama. Don't you think the Bandits of Devil's Mouth Pass have been quiet lately?" asked the houshi.

Inuyasha nodded, "Hai. It is odd. I've been wondering why myself…"

"Perhaps they are fearful of Inuyasha-sama," I added.

They looked at me in surprise, as if I had never spoken before in my entire life and suddenly did. Miroku smiled and Inuyasha blushed again.

"I have heard of Inuyasha-sama's great exploitations and the Bandit King Onigumo's defeat at your merciful hands has been quite the talk recently," I said.

"Well, Inuyasha-sama IS a great warrior of justice!" Miroku laughed.

Inuyasha hesitated, "F-feh! I'm… not that great…"

I smiled and suddenly, I felt something crawl down my back. In the next two seconds, I had Miroku's arm pulled behind his back and asking me for my forgiveness.

"Ne Miroku! Didn't I tell you to keep your lecherous hands to yourself?" Inuyasha shouted at Miroku.

He towered over Miroku who was chuckling hesitantly. They were like two little boys who fought and argued.

"Inuyasha-sama! Inuyasha-sama!" interrupted another voice.

We turned to look. A man of small height and strange stature came and bowed to Inuyasha. His red hair caught my eye. Inuyasha's face turned serious.

"What is it?" he asked.

The strange looking man looked up at him, "It's… It's the Bandit King, Onigumo the Spider! He's taken over the towns of Maiv and Vaab!"

"What? No wonder why he's been quiet lately!" Miroku spoke.

The messenger continued, "He's coming this way! He's currently fighting us at Kab castle! I rushed here as quick as I could to warn you and beg you for your aid!"

"Dammit! _She's_ there as well!" Inuyasha cursed.

She?…

"That's close to here… Very well! Miroku, go with the young lad! Go and send a word out to the troops to ready for battle! I will be along shortly," he told them.

They nodded and sped off towards the castle.

In times like these, perhaps I should have sped off as well… but… I was curious as to how Inuyasha would handle this problem. If I saw him in action, then perhaps I could determine his strength and how to use him...

Inuyasha turned to me, "My apologies, Kagome-dono. It seems that we have some trouble with the Bandit King on our hands because I didn't finish him off last time. Can you stay here for awhile? You'll be safer and-"

I interrupted him, "You will have wounded men to deal with and from what I hear, this Onigumo is someone who employs some dark magic users on his team. I will lend my assistance."

"But…" he seemed at a lost for words.

"You will have need of me my lord, no doubt about it," I told him as a matter of fact.

What was I doing? I wasn't the kind of person to go off wandering into other people's businesses… but he would be useful for me...

He was quiet for a bit then looked as if he finally reached a decision, "Can you handle a bow?"

I smirked, "I can handle anything."

He seemed a little taken back with my smirk, as if he had never seen it before. Damn, my cover was slipping up a little.

I smiled again, "I can wield a bow. Mikos are expected to know how to handle bows."

His face faded back into what it was before, relief, but there was a tint of worry there. Worry? About what?

"Are you sure you can do this?" he asked.

I nodded.

Afterall, I can do just about anything that required me to kill and use my powers. I just couldn't have him be killed off by some lowlife of a bandit. I still needed him…

We sped off towards Kab with an army on horseback with Inuyasha, Miroku and myself in the lead. The wind sent our hair whipping wildly in the wind and the sound of running horses made all of us seem like men who were ready for anything, but that was who they were, men loyal to Inuyasha who meant to risk their life for their leader, atop of his ever great and quick steed. These horses we rode were the fastest and the strongest in the area and if one were to boast about the speed of these horses, they were right, for ningen horses anyway. Youkai were a different story....

The army raced towards Kab and when nightfall came, we were able to see it off in the distance. Smoke rose from the town and fire could be seen. There were screams and cries that were all too faint but still grisly to hear.

"My lord!" Miroku said in desperation.

Inuyasha broke off of his intense stare at the town and his face became that of a serious and dignified leader.

"Minna! Listen carefully! Onigumo the Spider has fought us before and that time, I defeated him but I let him go free because I was merciful. Then he caused troubles again the second time, but when I defeated him, he struck back and meant to burn me alive, but his scheme failed and he was burned instead. In pity, I let him go again because his body had been burned so bad that I did not think he would survive it nor harm another person again!"

Inuyasha quieted for a moment and looked away. He breathed and turned his attention back to his men.

"But I am wrong again. I have pardoned him twice and let him live but he has failed twice to redeem himself. Although I don't know if this Onigumo, who is currently in Kab, is actually the real one, it matters not! As if burning his own body wasn't enough to stop him, he continues to plague other people's lives! Tonight, we will rid ourselves of this nightmare called Onigumo the Spider and give peace to the people in their sleep from now on!"

The soldiers all shouted and cheered in return to Inuyasha's speech.

"For us and for Kab! Rid of the parasite Onigumo!" Inuyasha shouted.

A chorus of "Down with Onigumo!" spread quickly amongst the soldiers. I scanned the faces of the soldiers, young and old, handsome and fierce. They seemed confident and their faces were brimming with so much pride that I wanted to choke. Drawing forth all our swords, Inuyasha rushed forward to Kab and we all followed. We encountered the enemies before we even got to town and the soldiers split up. One group stayed behind and the rest rushed forward, slashing at anyone who would stand in our way. I notched an arrow and let it fly.

"Agh!" screamed a bandit.

I notched another one and let it fly.

Another scream followed.

"You have a good eye!" Miroku complimented me.

"Stay focused, houshi!" I shouted at him.

The horses started to buck and slow down. The fire grew larger and the smoke started to affect my eyes, making them burn and watery.

"Kisama…" swore Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha, the horses won't go on! " Miroku said.

"Everyone off their horses! We go on foot from here! Mind the flames!" he ordered.

Everyone got off their horses and attacked oncoming bandits. Miroku helped me down as Inuyasha cut down a buff-looking bandit. From behind him, another bandit was sneaking up with a dagger in the air.

"Inuyasha! Look out!" yelled Miroku.

Inuyasha started to turn with sword ready but it would be too late.

There was a cry of pain and a splash of blood on Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha-sama!" a soldier cried in worry.

Miroku rushed over to the fallen Inuyasha. He pushed the bandit's body off him and pulled Inuyasha to a sitting position. He shook him.

"Inuyasha! Inuyasha!" Miroku yelled.

"I'm... I'm alright," he finally answered.

Miroku and the other soldiers with us let out a sigh of relief. The bandit had been shot down before he could hit Inuyasha. He turned to look at me as I let down my bow. A look of gratitude glimmered in their eyes.

"You saved me, thank you," Inuyasha said.

I nodded.

"We mustn't tarry, my lord!" another soldier spoke up.

Inuyasha got to his feet, "Hai. Onigumo's head is waiting for us!"

Everyone cheered and followed him down the town's burning streets into Kab castle. The fires didn't reach the castle yet but the bandits already did. Bandits seemed to have appeared from the darkness and attacked us, but everyone was light on their feet and kept a watchful eye, fighting any enemies who came our way. There was a noise somewhere in the distance. Swords were clashing and there were sounds of yelling. The Kab messenger who had come to us with a plea for help was running alongside Inuyasha now.

"That sounds like it's from my lord's war room!" he almost yelled in worry.

"Show us the way!" Inuyasha commanded.

We followed him with a now smaller group. Several soldiers were wounded and had to stay behind while several others kept watch in case more bandits would come. We continued on quickly until there was only Inuyasha, Miroku, myself, the messenger and two other soldiers left.

"You guys didn't have to come!" Inuyasha said to us.

"If I didn't, there would be two very angry women that I'd have to answer to," Miroku joked.

"Be serious and shut up," I told them.

"My apologies, Kagome-dono," Miroku said and made an awkward bow while running.

I grunted.

Miroku snickered, "Make that _three_ women."

The sounds of swords and shouts grew louder.

"This way! Down here!" the messenger shouted and we race on ahead to a large door.

When we entered the door, we were greeted with the sight of a middle aged man dressed in bloody armor. His face was bruised and his right eye shut and swollen. He stood to one side of the room with his sword raised and his men stood around him with swords raised as well. Several had been slain and were bloody and lifeless at their feet.

On the other side were several lifeless bodies of bandits, bloody and crushed, as if something big had chewed them and spat them back out. Standing and grinning evilly above them was a man who had bandages wrapped around whatever skin was not covered by his clothes. He rested his sword on his shoulder and seemed to be enjoying the pain and suffering the other men were going through. Behind him stood a figure cloaked in black and was covered by the darkness. His presence felt foreboding and ominous. The feeling sent a shiver up my spine.

"My lord!" the messenger cried and ran to him.

"Shippou!" the lord exclaimed in surprise.

There was a look or relief and disappointment on his face. Suddenly, there was a puff of smoke from where the messenger stood and in his place appeared a little boy with red hair and a bushy red tail. Protruding from his head were two ears. He was a kitsune youkai. He jumped over the armored man's guards and fell into his arms.

"I told you to run away!" the lord scolded him.

He was angry at the boy and looked like he was going to knock him on the head.

Tears formed in the kid's eyes, "I'm sorry, but I was worried about you, uncle! I didn't mean to disobey you! I'm sorry!"

The lord's eyes soften and he held the boy against him with this unarmed hand. A laughter cut through the scene and all eyes turned back to the opponent whom I assumed was Onigumo.

"Ha ha! It's all so touching that it makes me wanna gag! Sorry to cut into your little cutesy time together, but I gotta kill ya!" Onigumo smirked.

"Onigumo! This time, I won't let you go!" Inuyasha shouted.

Onigumo stiffened then turned his eyes to Inuyasha. His eyes widened in fear for a bit, but the figure behind him whispered something to him that I caught, something in the language of the ancient youkai that few, including the youkai, ever used. His eyes slowly narrowed down on Inuyasha and he glared at Inuyasha with all the hate and malice that he stored up over the times that he was defeated by him. A devilish smirk rose on his lips and he chuckled insanely.

"Inuyasha…" he chuckled gleefully.

A strange growl-like sound escaped his lips. The man didn't seem all ningen, no, he wasn't ningen at all. With the speed of a wildcat, he leapt for Inuyasha and swung his sword down. Despite his speed, Inuyasha managed to block the attack and returned one of his own, but Onigumo jumped away before the sword could hit.

"You're not ningen!" Miroku noticed.

Onigumo walked back to his cloaked comrade and chuckled.

"Oh? You noticed that?"

Inuyasha growled, "Last time I saw you, you were so badly scarred and burnt, you could barely move or speak! How is it that you can wave a sword at all?"

Onigumo was silent but then surprised everyone when he started laughing. I notched an arrow. My eyes shifted from Onigumo to the man behind him then back to Onigumo. Onigumo was a threat… but what of the other man?

When his laughter died, he spoke.

"Let's say that I made a deal with the devil…" he smirked.

"Kami-sama, you sold your soul to evil?" Miroku exclaimed in shock.

Onigumo's smirk faded away into a scowl.

"And what a deal I made. He took away the pain and agony that I felt and replaced it with strength and power. He renewed my anger and hatred for you tenfold! How I've wished to kill you, dreaming night after night of how many ways I could kill you for the pain you gave me and what you took from me… I saw and lived hell to be where I am today… but it doesn't matter now… Now, I can avenge myself and kill you!" he snarled.

He darted forward again and I tightened my grip on my bow. I let go and the arrow flew. The next thing I knew, I was looking down at Onigumo on the floor, bleeding from his neck where the arrow had pierced through. His one eye looked at Inuyasha then to me and it widened in shock.

"K-Kikyou!"

* * *

ano – um

hai – yes

houshi - monk

ne – "hey" or sometimes "isn't that right?"

minna – everyone

kisama – a curse word similar to chikuso


	14. Chapter 14

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Fourteen**_

_by PhoenixBlade_

* * *

Kikyou? Who was Kikyou?

"N…Na…Nara…ku…" Onigumo gasped.

My attention snapped fully on him. Naraku!

"How do you know Naraku?" I demanded from him.

He choked, "H-he… l-lied to m-me…"

Seeing that he was gurgling and trying to breathe, I notched another arrow and turned to the mysterious figure that was with Onigumo. My miko powers flared to life and saw it as an enemy.

"What is it, Kagome-dono?" Miroku asked me.

Its presence was faint, but was there. It masked itself well from the others. Perhaps it belonged to Naraku…

I put down the bow and arrow and shook my head, "Nothing, just my imagination."

Miroku gave me a questioning look, as if he didn't believe me but would let it pass… for now. I turned away. Did he suspect anything?

Suddenly, the figure began moving and I kept my eye on it as Inuyasha took out his sword to deal the finishing blow to Onigumo. I watched as it slowly moved from where it stood closer to us. Onigumo choked on his own blood and again, brought my attention back to him. I watched as the dark figure quickly threw a part of its dark cloak around Onigumo and he disappeared before Inuyasha could do anything. Everyone gasped in shock at his sudden disappearance.

"He vanished!" one of Lord Kab's soldiers exclaimed.

I returned my gaze on the dark figure. The others seemed to have lost sight or notice of it but I kept a close eye on it. It turned its attention on me, darkness hid its face, never revealing its identity to me.

"You…are not… who we are after…" it spoke in present youkai tongue.

Its voice boomed in my head, like drums against my ears. The voice was raspy and breathy, but hoarse and cold, sending chills down my spine and goosebumps along my skin. I felt my powers burning like a wildfire inside of me, wanting to purify it.

He seemed to glide on the floor as if he was flying. He slid by past me and a cold and dark feeling enveloped me. My miko powers struck back and I saw a small spark between us, making him flinch from it, but didn't waver. He fled past me and the feeling went as did my miko powers. I loosened the arrow and put it down. It was gone.

Miroku suddenly grabbed onto me and I realized that I was stumbling.

"Are you alright, Kagome-dono? You're breathing and sweating profusely," he told me.

Such an observant monk… _annoying_…

My hand immediately went to swat his hands away, but stopped at the last moment. I hesitated, but gently patted his hands to assure that I was fine. I put on the best fake smile I could pull.

"I am quite alright, houshi-sama. There is no need to worry," I assured him.

He gave me a look as if he didn't quite and yet did, believe me. What the hell did I care? He could believe it or not, but as long as he didn't suspect me that far to distrust me, then it would be fine.

"I will… go outside for some fresh air," I said.

He looked at me for a bit, still unsure, then let go of me.

"If it will do you well, Kagome-dono," he nodded and then placed on a smile, "besides, this is no place for a lady such as yourself to be at the moment."

I bowed, "Thank you. Call me if you need my assistance."

He nodded back and I left the building. Hell, I left the city with a quick word to one of Inuyasha's men to deliver to him on my whereabouts. I didn't have time to deal with General Hlub Neeg's son. Naraku was now somewhat of a problem in my plans and Sesshoumaru was doing things secretly behind my back. An internal rage stormed inside of me. I needed to throttle someone... These people... They would need to be dealt with... soon…

* * *

I had reached a clearing in the middle of a forest. It was still dark and quiet, save for the rustling of the trees in the wind.

"Bankotsu…" I said aloud.

Sure enough, he appeared not too long after and bowed before me.

"What is it that you wish, Kagome-dono?" he asked.

"Look at me," I commanded.

He raised his head at me. My hand flew out of its own will and struck him hard across the face. He did not fall, but his head remained in the position when my hand left his face. He did not raise a hand to soothe the pain that was already reddening on his cheek.

"You failed to tell me of Naraku's doings," I spoke to him in a harsh voice, intimidating and angry.

He remained silent, but returned to his previous bowing position.

"…He has sworn you to silence, hasn't he?... Hasn't he?" I shouted at him.

Bankotsu suddenly bowed down low on the ground in forgiveness.

"My lady! Please forgive me for not telling you! I said nothing for you have not asked that of me," he pleaded with me.

I scoffed, feeling myself very much on the edge of making him target practice, "I suppose I haven't, but what's there to say when your loyalty actually lies with the scum. It was he, after all, who presented your men to me."

"Forgive me," was all he said.

I didn't want to look at him at the moment and turned my back on him. Hmm… It all made sense; though I had known it earlier that he gave me his men to keep an eye on me, for reasons that only he knew. I doubt that his men even knew what his motives were for doing so. My plans were, at the moment, a bit threatened. Inuyasha had trusted friends, one of whom was suspicious of me. That monk… First things first, I needed his friends to trust me. Naraku could wait and Sesshoumaru most definitely needed coming back to as soon as possible.

"… Call forth Kyoukotsu. I have need of him…" I said.

I heard a sharp intake of breath from Bankotsu.


	15. Chapter 15

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Fifteen**_

_by PhoenixBlade_

* * *

_Fly away little fallen one,_

_Thy broken wings useless to none,_

_A pitiless song sung to your foe,_

_Who made thee undone._

* * *

There was no sound in the forest despite it being nighttime when nocturnal creatures came out and made noises. I sheathed my sword and scoffed at the carcasses of the dead youkai around me. They were lower reptilian youkai. They were stupid creatures, stupid enough to not notice that I was stronger than they. I closed my eyes and inhaled the smell of their blood. Truly disgusting... but I reveled in their deaths...

"My lady?" came the voice of Bankotsu.

I exhaled loudly as I opened my eyes to look at his arriving form. I had sensed him a while ago during the battle with the now dead youkai, but he wouldn't have made it in time to help me, not like I needed the help anyway.

"Is he with you?" I asked him.

He nodded and turned to the side, letting a larger figure walk up beside him and bow to me.

"Kyoukotsu, at your services," he said.

I looked at him for a few seconds, taking in his large form. Yes, he would do quite nicely.

"Bankotsu," I called to him.

He looked to me and nodded, "Yes, my lady?"

"Leave us," I told him.

He nodded and left.

After I felt his presence gone from the area, I looked at Kyoukotsu, who still had his head down, away from me.

"Kyoukotsu, are you strong?" I asked him, or rather, commanded him to answer me.

"H-hai," he answered, unsure of where I was getting at.

"Because I need you to do something for me."

"My lady, whatever it is that you want me to do for you, I would gladly do it, even at the expense of my life," he assured me.

I looked away from him and looked up at the stars. It was a dark, but clear night. Strange, were the stars as bright as they were before this night?

"...Very well. I need you to go to the closest stronghold to the eastern border and destroy it," I told him.

I heard him take in a sharp breath, surprised at my command, but seemingly, not too unhappy about it either. There were, undoubtedly, horrific stories behind the nicknames of the Shichinintai, and Kyoukotsu gave it away quite well.

"My lady, you do me great honor for letting me-" he began, but I cut him off, continuing where I left off.

"I don't want you to stop there. Continue terrorizing and destroying strongholds as well as villages you come across from the East up to Shaffir including those that belong to the ningens, but leave the West alone. Do not harm or even set foot in any villages around the West! When you come towards Shaffir, I want you to be ready, for they will probably send their best to come and stop you, but I do not want you to enter Shaffir. Stall by killing people on the road to Shaffir or kill those in the nearby towns if you must, but do not enter Shaffir! Someone from there will come and attack you and I want you to do your utmost to kill all that are sent to kill you. Do you understand?" I told him.

He seemed to be salivating, as if anticipating it, quite excitedly in fact, "My lady, your word is my command."

I nodded, "Good. Now go and do not fail me."

He left not too soon after and I couldn't help but let out a smirk.

* * *

At the end of the two weeks, I returned to Sesshoumaru with a full report... well, a full report made up of partial truth. Half a truth wasn't too bad now, was it?

"He is nothing but a human, a general who has risen in the ranks due in part to his special abilities training under monks and because he was personally trained under Hlub Neeg," I reported to Sesshoumaru before his audience.

"I see... and what of the other which I had you find?" he asked.

I looked up from my bowing position on the ground, he didn't look too thrilled, rather, he looked distracted, and it irritated him.

"I saw nothing nor heard anything about it," I told him.

He seemed to be thinking for a bit, but let it go, "...very well. Return to my side then, Shikon."

I bowed once more and went to stand behind, but beside him.

"What is the next order of business?" Sesshoumaru asked to the audience.

Several of his youkai generals came forth and bowed. A youkai, who bore a crest that did not belong to Sesshoumaru, came forward and bowed as well. Where was this a youkai from...?

"My lord," one of his generals spoke up, "there has been reports of someone who may be youkai on the loose, killing youkai and ningen alike towards the east of us. Many youkai have been sent to exterminate this vermin, but he has all but killed them and continues down towards the ningen capital, Shaffir."

Sesshoumaru shifted in his seat, no doubt not liking the news that was being spilled forth.

One of his other generals spoke up, "Despite making his killings down to Shaffir, which mostly consists of ningen trash, the damage done towards the East is irreparable. The East claims that it is the West who has sent our own to kill their people."

The youkai with the different crest jumped forward angrily, not attempting to show respect nor courtesy to Sesshoumaru, "We do not claim! We have based this upon the fact that this youkai has attacked our people and our strongholds and has completely ignored the West domain, which is yours! We cannot tolerate this! We want compensation or we will go to war!"

The audience began to talk and murmur amongst themselves as the generals got up and looked menacingly at the youkai, ready to kill him.

"Stop!" snarled Sesshoumaru.

Everyone stopped and the room became deathly silent, as if every youkai were holding their breaths, hoping that Sesshoumaru didn't single them out and kill them on the spot. I noticed his grip on his chair was very strong, ready to break anytime. He turned stern eyes from the audience to his generals, then to the youkai.

"What are your lord's demands?" he said.

The youkai was silent, trying to find the courage to speak to the powerful youkai lord and finally did, "That you either accept his daughter's hand in marriage as the both of you have already been discussing, and that you support him in killing his enemies that have been threatening his borders from across the seas."

Marriage? So that was what it was...

"Is that what your lord was looking for? Support?" Sesshoumaru said with a bored voice.

"Y-yes," the youkai answered hesitantly.

"Very well, to show our innocence in this loose _youkai_, we will personally involve ourselves in this matter and after the beast is dead, then I shall wed your princess," Sesshoumaru announced.

"My lord!" everyone said in unison to his command and bowed.

"Shikon!" he called out.

I came forward to his side and bowed.

"You will take care of this fool who dares to impersonate as one of mine. Kill him before the humans do!"

I nodded, "As my master commands."

I began leaving his side, but he spoke out as I made my way past the generals who leered at me with distaste.

"When will you kill me, my little snow pearl?" he asked.

I stopped and for once in all the time that he had asked me, turned my whole body to face him and looked at him straight in the face, "Soon."

The audience and generals erupted with surprise at my answer, which had been different from all the other times that I had said it. Sesshoumaru gave me a smirk and I left with his smirk imprinted in my mind.

Soon Sesshoumaru... soon...

* * *

I traveled to Shaffir with such speed and ferocity like a cat chasing after a mouse. One could say, I was almost giddy with excitement, but that was hardly the case. I wasn't giddy at all... Knowing that Sesshoumaru would... marry... had not been in my plans at all... and he was gaining another foothold in his power. More trash to deal with for me...

I shook it off like anything else that didn't have to do with my revenge and shot off like lightning to Shaffir. Inuyasha would probably be getting ready to head out to kill Kyoukotsu, or perhaps he was initiating a battle with him right now...

I made it to Shaffir the next day, despite taking a different route leading away from Shaffir without encountering Kyoukotsu. The town was bustling and people were frantic, worried and waiting for the creature that was killing their villages to be killed. They were waiting for their hero to confront the youkai and put it out of its misery.

"Why did this have to happen now?" a woman asked her friend as I passed by them in the marketplace which was less crowded than usual, "and after we attained peace after that Great War..."

"Does it matter? Hlub Neeg's son, General Inuyasha, can kill the beast. He's just like his father, fighting alongside the other great heroes in the Great War. Things look bad now, but it'll be ok. We have our hero and I'm sure he can slay this beast!" the other said.

The Great War? It had been a war that the ningens had been in and that the youkai had ignored despite it being what could have been the end of everything. A power hungry youkai went on a rampage and obtained great powers that could have destroyed everything if not for the interference of some ningens and one particular youkai lord who agreed to help the ningens in their quest for peace. It had happened before I had been born, but what happened after it, destroyed my family when I was a child... but that was in the past and needed no recollecting now... or ever...

I scoffed at their stupid beliefs. Their hero? Were ningens so weak but to depend on one person to do the job for them? Pathetic.

"Kagome-dono!" came a familar voice.

I turned and saw Miroku coming towards me with a woman in a youkai exterminator outfit and a large boomerang on her back.

"Miroku-san. How good it is to see you," I said with a smile, which was fake, but who could tell but me?

He came up and clasped my hand in his, "Oh, how I wish I could say the same to you, beautiful lady-"

Suddenly, he was knocked to the ground and I turned to see the woman, who came with him, stand over him with a fist.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to do that to women, you lech!" she yelled at him angrily.

What an odd pair...

Miroku got up and bowed in apology to her, "Ah, fair Sango, my greatest apologies, but when one sees something of great beauty, one cannot simply let it alone. I am sorry for neglecting you. Would you like me to massage your body later as an apology of mine?"

She pulled out her boomerang with a furious look on her face, "Say that again!?"

"I am sorry to interrupt, but where is Inuyasha-sama?" I asked all too innocently.

The one called Sango stopped and looked at me. She looked a little embarrassed by her outburst. Putting away her boomerang, she bowed to me.

"I'm assuming that you're the miko, Kagome, that this lech and Inuyasha have been telling me about?" she asked and I nodded, "Nice to meet you, my name is Sango."

She bowed and I bowed back.

"Inuyasha-sama is heading towards the youkai that has been destroying the villages on the way here. We are heading out to assist him right now," she told me.

"Why didn't you leave with him when he left then?" I asked, a little worried about my plans.

I had seen Kyoukotsu's handiwork on my way back to Sesshoumaru and he left no stone unturned. Inuyasha could die at his hands and that wouldn't bode well for me.

Miroky chimed in, "That would be because I had to wait for the arrival of Sango-dono, who is a person of the great and reknowned Exterminator clan."

I looked at her again. She didn't look like much, but I had heard greatly of their abilities in fighting and slaying many youkai alike. She had probably killed many in her lifetime, but I bet she hadn't killed as many as I did nor many who were very strong as I did. Still, I could sense that she was indeed a force to be reckoned with. Perhaps she would be of some help in the future for me...?

"After her arrival, my job is to safely escort her to where Inuyasha-sama is and have her enter combat with him, as well as I, in extinguishing the youkai," answered Miroku.

"I will help as well," I said.

Miroku gave me a look, "Kagome-dono? Are you sure? I have heard that this youkai has killed many who have approached it and is very dangerous."

I sighed, "Miroku-san, if you are worried about my safety, rest assure that I am quite capable of taking care of myself. Aside from that, having a miko around may be of some help."

"She's right. Youkai are allergic to mikos," Sango told him.

Miroku was thoughtful for a bit then nodded, "Very well then, Kagome-dono. Now, we must be off for Inuyasha-sama expects us there right away."

I nodded and headed off with them.

* * *

When we reached the place, Inuyasha had entered combat with Kyoukotsu and his soldiers had retreated. One of his soldiers caught us as we whizzed on by.

"Inuyasha-sama is fighting th-that... thing now! It's killed nearly half the troops in the first ten minutes and our archers have run out of arrows! Go help Inuyasha-sama please!" he pleaded.

Sango spoke up, "Don't worry, we'll help him stop the youkai!"

He pointed us in the direction that Inuyasha was and we rushed there. It was quite a ways, even when we entered a forest, we still had quite a way to go. Along the way, we passed bodies of dead soldiers and several who were still alive and were trying to make it back to the others.

"Please help him! He's the only one alone with that creature right now!" they cried.

We ran and ran until we could hear loud booming and something like the clanking of a sword in the distance. We hurried and finally came to the end of the forest... and realized that it wasn't the end of the forest but was a large area of the forest which had been decimated due to the effects of Kyoukotsu and Inuyasha fighting.

_Clank! Boom!_

Inuyasha jumped away from Kyoukotsu's large club as it slammed into the ground, making small tremors. Inuyasha lost his footing and fell. Kyoukotsu took that moment to raise his club to deliver what could be the finishing blow to Inuyasha.

"Hiraikotsu!"

Sango sent her large boomerang towards them and it knocked Kyoukotsu far away from Inuyasha in surprise. We rushed over to where he was and helped him to his feet.

"Kagome-dono! This is dangerous! You shouldn't be here!" Inuyasha said, frantically trying to catch his breath.

His armor had broken off and was now sporting some large gashes with lots of blood on his body.

"Don't talk," I told him and turned to Miroku and Sango, "Can you hold him off while I heal Inuyasha?"

They nodded and headed off to confront Kyoukotsu, who was now lumbering towards us but was still far away. I helped Inuyasha to the edge of the forest and gave him quick first-aid.

"Kagome-dono, why did you come?" he hissed, not at me, but at the pain.

"To help you," I told him and started bandaging him.

"But you shouldn't be here!" he said to me.

"A miko's duty is where the wind takes her and it brought me here," I countered as I finished bandaging him.

After I finished, he grabbed my hands and held it in his as he looked at me sincerely, which caught me quite by surprise. The look in those eyes of his, so innocent and naive. It made me almost regret that I was using him.

"If anything were to happen to you..." he started to say, but something heavy hit the tree next to us.

I looked and saw Sango fall to the ground.

"Sango!" Inuyasha cried out.

"I'm alright... Just a couple of broken bones..." she assured us as she tried to stand up

I grabbed Inuyasha's shoulder and he turned to look at me, "Go ahead and help Miroku, I'll take care of her."

He paused for a moment, as if debating with himself then nodded. He took his sword and ran off to help Miroku. I watched as his sword, looking rusty and dull, change to become sharper and bigger. It was indeed impressive. Returning to Sango, I healed her with my miko powers and she cried out in pain as her broken bones began to repair themselves.

"At least it beats me staying in bed for several months while trying to heal them," she said through bared teeth.

It was painful, that I knew, and required a lot of power to heal broken bones. I would be out of power soon, but that didn't matter much. It would soon be over anyway.

The sounds of fighting escalated and Kyoukotsu became infuriated that the two were delivering quite a lot of damage on him. He swung his club around and tried to get them, but they were always a step ahead of him.

"ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" he bellowed and pounded his large club onto the ground.

It created an earthquake that was strong enough to shake everything around us. The ground shook beneath Sango and my feet as I was finishing applying bandages to her. The ground lifted me up and threw me against a tree and I pretended to fall unconscious.

"Kagome!" Sango cried out my name and came to me.

I laid still and limp like the dead and it angered her. She put me down and I watched with slightly opened eyes as she joined the other two in the fight in finishing Kyoukotsu off. There were wounds and large gashes everywhere on his body and he was just swinging his club now. My guess was that they must have blinded him because there was blood dripping down all over his face from his eyes.

I got up and pulled out the bow that I slung over my shoulder. I created an arrow with most of my powers and readied to shoot it.

"Inuyasha!" I shouted and he turned to look at me, "Finish him!"

Inuyasha seemed to understand and nodded. I shot the arrow as he started running towards Kyoukotsu. He jumped and the arrows hit his blade and made it impossibly bigger, laden with an impressive amount of miko energy. He slashed down on Kyoukotsu with a mad fury and killed him.

"!!!" screamed Kyoukotsu and he fell in a large heap of flying dirt, leaves and branches.

I came running up to the others. Sango and Miroku were breathing hard and bleeding, but couldn't seem to move from their spots. Inuyasha was a little ways away from Kyoukotsu's body and seemed unconscious. I went to him and examined him a bit. He was unconscious, perhaps from the impact from administering the final blow and loss of blood, but would be fine. I turned to look at Kyoukotsu's body. He was still breathing, raggedly, but was still trying to grab onto the remnants of his remaining life. I began walking over to him.

"No! Kagome-dono you mustn't!" choked Miroku.

I ignored him and went to Kyoukotsu's side where his head was facing. I knelt down on one knee and looked at him.

"...my lady..." he managed to say.

"...You knew it was me?" I asked.

He made a sound in his throat akin to a chuckle, but came out as gurgling.

He choked out blood, "I... can recognize… your scent..."

I smirked, "I underestimate how youkai-like your senses are sometimes."

He almost laughed but ended up coughing, rousing Miroku and Sango from their places but I motioned to them that it was alright. Not able to stand the pain they were in, they unhappily obeyed.

"My lady... I... failed..." he heaved.

I shook my head, "No, you did exactly as I told you. For that, I am grateful."

"My... lady..." he breathed.

He repeated it again and again. A twinge of... something hit me but I suppressed it as soon as it came. No, I couldn't let anything like that faze me... I sat next to him until his very last breath. His body fell limp and I exhaled loudly, as if I had been holding my breath.

"Goodbye..."


	16. Chapter 16

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Sixteen**_

_By: PhoenixBlade_

* * *

Shortly after Kyoukotsu died, the Shichinintai arrived at the scene. Miroku and Sango, despite in pain, got ready to fight, but they ignored them and carried their brother off. Bankotsu gave me a strange look and then disappeared. I had no idea what he thought of me now or what he wanted to convey in that look he gave me, but I decided to ignored it for now.

Miroku gave me a signal flare which I used and sent up so that help would arrive. Twenty minutes later, after applying herbs and bandaging the three again, help arrived in the form of Inuyasha's soldiers who were still mobile. They took the three and offered to assist me as well, but I declined. Acting like a good friend, I went with them and worried over them as they were brought back to the castle and were taken care of. As night began to fall, I excused myself from their good graces and they let me, thinking that I was tired. I left the castle, left the town and continued walking until I felt the aura of the Shichinintai nearby. I walked towards it until I saw a light in the distance. There were no thoughts that ran through my mind, no reasons to tell them as to why he died following my orders even though I was the one who aided in his death.

When I reached the edge of the trees to where the Shichinintai were, something moved quickly and I let it come as I walked on. I stopped when I felt a blade at my throat.

"Move and I shall strike you down!" came the murderous voice of Renkotsu.

"Renkotsu! Let her go!" Bankotsu ordered him.

He stood still and I did as well.

"Renkotsu!" Bankotsu warned him.

He eyed me unkindly, then pulled back, none too happily. I gave him a quick look at the corner of my eye, then continued forward. Leaving the trees, I came upon an open space with the large burning body of Kyoukotsu at the center. The Shichinintai surrounded it, and didn't bother to look at me as I interrupted their ceremony. Renkotsu joined the others, but he didn't bother to look at me again. He was furious. The others were probably as well. Bankotsu gave a few small parting words to the Kyoukotsu and then looked at me.

"My lady..." he began to say but trailed off.

There was silence, aside from the crackling of the fire. I decided to speak up.

"You must hate me for doing this to him..." I said.

Bankotsu looked away from me then looked at Kyoukotsu's burning body.

"He was my brother, my lady. He was a large brute who enjoyed the suffering of others, but despite it all, he was my brother. My lady, can you understand how it is to suddenly part from someone whom you've shared a rice bowl with and has suffered though hardships with you?" Bankotsu asked me.

I didn't answer. How could I? I didn't know, nor did I care. Things like that were beneath me.

"We've been through a lot together. If not for Naraku, we would all have liked to die together, but it would seem that our wish to die together cannot happen," Bankotsu continued.

He looked at me again and I began to feel uneasy, "My lady, although it is in our best interests if you were to tell us why this happened, we will not force you nor will we bring this up again. If you cannot answer, then we will leave it at that."

I said nothing and he sighed. Jakotsu broke away from Kyoukotsu's burning body and came up to Bankotsu's side.

"My lady, though our brothers are angry, most of their anger is not at you, but it is directed at the world. It is the world that has made us who we are," he told me, "although Renkotsu's anger is directed at you at the moment, rest assured, he will not harm you, we will not allow it."

Bankotsu spoke up again, "My lady, we will follow you to the ends of the world should Naraku allow us to. Although he comes first, your words are also important to us. We will follow you and protect you, even die at your hands if need be. Only, only please. Help us take out our anger on the world and we will gladly kill ourselves should you speak the words for us to do so. We will be loyal to you to the end."

I said nothing for a bit, then spoke, "I will just use you as I had used your dearly departed brother. You would gladly follow me into hell, even if I tell you to kill your own brother?"

There was a bit of hesitation on their part and I snorted. I could hear Renkotsu growl.

"That is the ultimate test of loyalty. Your bonds with one another proves your direct loyalty with me. Should you break them, my trust in you will waver and if you betray me, your death shall be slow and painful," I told them, seeing that they were all looking at me now, "I will not be merciful."

There was a silence, then Bankotsu and Jakotsu were the first to go to their knees, then the others except for Renkotsu.

"Renkotsu! Kneel to our lady!" Bamkotsu ordered him in a deadly voice, one which I had never heard him use before, dangerous and dripping with poison.

Renkotsu swore under his breath and kneeled.

I looked at them all. They were like samurai, swearing their life and absolute fealty to their lord.

I said nothing as the crackling sounds of the fire drifted into the night.

* * *

I returned to Inuyasha and the others. Sango and Miroku were out for a couple of days and Inuyasha was out for a week. In the time that Inuyasha was laid to bed, Sango and I were getting to know one another, or rather, I was getting information on her background and she was getting a fake story about me. She was the first and only daughter of her father, who was the head of their village, and had a younger brother named Kohaku. Her mother had died when Kohaku was younger after a strong youkai had attacked their village. She was one of the strongest, if not the most, in the village and she was very proud of her heritage. Her brother was still a beginner, but knew enough to get by. She had killed many youkai, but her number slain was still lower than mine. She did not live a life where you had to wake every morning to face youkai behind every door and dark corner, sometimes you had to fight and kill them to live on. She had come to know Inuyasha when his father was still alive, and had asked her village for their help in exterminating some strong youkai.

"It surprised me at first, seeing that a youkai was asking us to eliminate other youkai for the safety of ningens. I was raised to kill youkai, but seeing and meeting his father made me think otherwise that not all youkai were bad," she told me before slapping Miroku's hands from wandering onto her exposed butt.

Miroku had met Inuyasha when he came to visit the temple he was at with his father. His father often came to ask for advice from Miroku's sensei who was the head monk. They met and talked and Inuyasha, often times, had to bring Miroku back from skirt chasing.

"Why, if it hadn't been for Inuyasha, I would have never met the lovely Sango," he added before she knocked him unconscious.

Inuyasha woke up and called for me. He wanted to talk.

"I was told that you talked with that youkai after we defeated it," he said tiredly.

I nodded.

"Although my ningen side abhors youkai who kill for pleasure, my youkai side is grateful to you for showing mercy to it. You are kind, Kagome-dono..." he said to me before falling asleep.

I scoffed after he dozed off. If only he knew...

Knock knock!

I looked at the door and saw a woman in white and red miko robes. She had pale skin and long black hair that was tied in the back with some hair that was tied loosely on both sides. She had a face that was similar to mine and a mock expression on her face that rivaled mine.

"Who are you?" she asked me, slightly annoyed with my presence.

She seemed to know Inuyasha. I shifted in my seat to look at her in the face and smiled.

"I am Kagome, a friend of Inuyasha's," I answered still smiling, "and you are?"

She looked miffed at me, but spoke without wavering, "My name is Kikyou, his fiancee."

* * *

I was nearing the castle. It had taken several days to get here, but I was finally coming back, not that I was looking forward to it anyway. Now that I thought about it, I had been away for quite a while. Usually, I would return to the castle right after an assignment, but this time, I delayed. Why had I delayed this time?...

I shook it off and continued on, but the appearance of Hiten and several soldiers outside the gates stopped me.

I gave him a look and spoke, "Is something the matter?"

Hiten gave me an authoritative look, "Shikon-san, Sesshoumaru-sama has ordered me to stop you from entering the castle until further notice."

I started to get annoyed, was this a joke?

"What game are you playing at, Hiten?" I started to yell.

"Sesshoumaru-sama has specifically ordered me to make sure you do not set foot within the castle walls until he changes his mind. I cannot allow you to continue on further, Shikon-sama. My apologies," he said and backed off.

Two soldiers from behind him came forward with chains and tried to tie me up, but I fought back and beat them down. Before I could recover, Hiten grabbed me and stuffed something in my face making me fall unconscious.

"Forgive me..." he said and I fell into the darkness.

* * *

_Dream sequence begins..._

* * *

"Tou-san! I wanna go fishing! Take me fishing please!" cried a little girl.

I watched on, as if suspended in midair, as the scene before me unfolded.

A man, possibly in his thirties, sat on the front steps of his house looking up at the sky, not paying attention to the child behind him. He looked on as if stuck in a dream.

"Tou-san!" she cried and began tugging on his sleeve.

"Megumi..." he whispered to noone.

It was like he was in a trance. Not wanting to give up, she began hitting his back, but he got up and went back inside the house to his room. He told the girl briefly not to disturb him and shut the door. She was confused and then began to cry. Her father never paid any attention to her, why? Why was he always like that?

I was no longer in midair, but was the girl herself, but was now a little older. I was rummaging through my parents' things to find something about my father, about what he did and who he was before he was now, distant, always distant. He became even more distant and painfully distracted when a strange woman whom he seemed to know came into town. Perhaps she had something to do with his past? Kaa-san never said anything, but I knew, sometimes at night when Tou-san didn't come home, she would cry to herself in their room.

I looked and looked and found something strange, letters. My parents never wrote to each other so what was this? Love letters? It was adorned in such a way that I knew that it wasn't a common letter and went with the latter. It had to be love letters. I opened them and read them, they were love letters, from a woman, a woman who wasn't Kaa-san. I read unsent letters from Tou-san to that woman. Her name was... Megumi... It was then that I knew... Tou-san was in love with another woman, he had been and always loved that woman.

The night that the strange woman came and left, Tou-san didn't come home till late and Kaa-san had been awake the whole night, waiting for him. He went rummaging in his room and packing his things and Kaa-san tried to stop him but he told her that he decided to go after the woman he loved. He left her, crying on the floor as he left with no parting words. I ran out from my room and ran up to the door and called out to him. He didn't even turn back to look at me despite me screaming for him to come back...

Tou-san... Tou-san... Tou-san...

* * *

_Dream sequence ends..._

* * *

I awoke screaming for Tou-san. A hand wiped away a tear that had fallen from my eye. It was dark, but I turned to look at who it was that had audacity to touch me and met crimson eyes.

Naraku!

It was then that I realized that my head was placed on something warm, but not cushiony nor was it hard nor exactly uncomfortable... I was in his lap!

I shot up and crawled away quickly from his dark form.

"Bad dream, kitten?" he smirked at me through the darkness.

I was annoyed. Where was I? I looked around the room, it was dark but when I eyes became adjusted to the darkness, it looked like someone's sleeping quarters... sleeping quarters?...

"Where am I?" I demanded to know.

"My sleeping quarters," he answered blatantly.

I half expected him to add a sarcastic remark.

"Light a candle," I told him.

"Now why would I? I quite enjoy seeing your pale flesh glow in the dark, and they do look quite lovely," he chuckled.

I then realized that I was wearing a thin sleeping yukata that had slipped from my shoulders and was now exposing the top part of my breasts to him. I covered it up and turned away. I felt uncomfortable, panicking almost. I don't know why, but Naraku always made me feel... uneasy, like he was the looming figure that followed you at night, or was that shadow that was always in the corner of your room that kept you awake at night wondering who it was.

A hand grabbed my arm firmly, but not painfully as lips pressed against the back of my neck, placing a kiss there. It took me by surprised and I inhaled deeply, shuddering in the process.

"You look absolutely delicious in the darkness..." he whispered to me, sending shivers down my back, "Are you cold, my little kitten?"

I wished that he would just stop talking, keel over and die, but oddly enough, his voice was doing something to me. It was... seductive...

"Light something, please," I managed to say, or rather, squeaked.

Naraku pulled away with a chuckled, "Please? My my, what manners you have... very well then."

Several candles in the room were lit up. It didn't light up the whole room, but it was enough for now despite it being very dim. I turned and saw him at the other side of the room, leaning his head against the wall with a leg up and a hand resting on it. How did he get there...? I noticed that he wasn't wearing his hakama, just his undershirt and though it hid his pelvis, it only reached mid-thigh and didn't help to hide his excitement.

"Why am I... here?" I asked, finally getting my courage back.

"Why?... Well, I had you brought here, courtesy of the Shichinintai of course," he replied, sounding bored like someone whom I knew.

"But I was knocked out by Hiten..." I said.

"I sent the Shichinintai to get you after they shoved you in a cell," he told me and smirked, "you should thank me for getting you out."

I ignored his last sentence and looked away, "why did they do that to me?"

"Because you're a ningen," he said in my ear and I shuddered.

How could he move from there to here in such record timing?

He slipped a hand around my waist and pulled me into his lap, bumping me against his covered erection. A hand moved up to cup my breast through the yukata as he tucked his nose where my shoulder met my neck and nuzzled it.

"Perhaps they found no further use for you? Perhaps they finally decided that ningens were too bothersome or that you fulfilled your duty to them?" he brought up, "or perhaps you failed him."

He licked my neck and I shuddered, beginning to respond to his touches.

"No..." I hissed as he kneaded my breast through the fabric.

"Or perhaps... he got married without you knowing..." he finally said and I stopped breathing for a few seconds.

Married...?

Why should it surprise me? He said he was getting married... but he was getting married after I returned from killing Kyoukotsu... A strange, penetrating feeling overwhelmed me... It wasn't good, but usually at times like this, I wouldn't have minded or cared... but... He said... He's never...

"He's never..." I began to voice my thoughts but trailed off as Naraku slid the hand kneading my breast underneath the yukata and began playing with my other breast.

I whimpered as his hand around my waist slid down in between my thighs and lightly caressed me there. I hissed as a shot of pleasure shot through me.

"He's never done anything like this to you before... has he?" whispered Naraku, who was now adding more pressure on my breast and between my legs..

He shifted me a little so that my buttocks were grinding against his covered length. He lightly bumped against me in a slow pattern and little sparks flared within me, bringing me to arousal.

"Poor little Kagome... Thrown aside like a broken toy... Not once, but twice to two different men who belong to other women..." he said and I gasped faintly in surprise and in pleasure as his fingers tweaked my nipple.

How did he know about...!

"No!" I moaned and leaned my head back.

"Kagome... Relax, for I shall sooth you and love your body like the goddess you are..." he whispered erotically to me.

* * *

**KAG/NAR LEMON SCENE STARTS HERE! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!**

* * *

He licked the shell of my ear and bit my earlobe. I hissed. He moved to my lips and kissed me. I wasn't thinking, merely going on with instinct as he moved his lips across mine and slid his tongue into my mouth. We battled with our tongues until I gave up and let his tongue roam around in my mouth. Suddenly, his finger dove inside of me and I screamed into his mouth.

It was... Purely instinct... I could care less what Sesshoumaru thought... After all, I was just his ningen bitch whom he screwed every night and ordered around. I was really nothing to him...

He began pinching my nipple and pumping his fingers in and out of me. I began to move with his fingers, wanting more. He smiled against my lips and suddenly pulled out and I whimpered at the loss of his fingers. He moved me over until I was laying down on the floor. As he hovered over me, I saw that same smarmy smirk still on his face. It was annoyingly sexy. Though I hated the man, he had what I needed at the moment to rid me of this strange and feeling that was slowly seeping in and causing me distress... I wanted him to fuck me already...

"Tsk tsk tsk. Patience, my lady..." he murmured to me and undid the ties.

Parting the cloth, he looked at my body with desire and lust. He had been wanting me for a while and now, he could have me as I was willing. Hell, if Manten was around, I'd even let him have one… maybe.

Naraku licked his lips and dove down to a breast. He licked and sucked. I moaned as he moved his hands to massage my other breast and toy with my nipple. He swirled his tongue around the nipple and nibbled. I winced in pleasure as he placed his whole mouth on my breast again. He placed my nipple between his teeth and pulled, as if trying to make my nipples more erect. He moved his mouth to my other breast and gave it the same attentions as the other one. Large, rough hands roamed down my body, tracing out every curve and groove. When his hands moved down underneath my buttocks, he gave it a firm squeeze, making me spread my legs to accommodate his body. His fingers found their way back into me and began pumping like a madman until all I could do was grunt in pleasure at how he worked his fingers inside of me. I came hard with loud scream.

He removed his fingers and licked them as I looked on, already panting for air. The man's act of foreplay was already on par with Sesshoumaru. I twitched at the thought of him and quickly shut it out of my mind just as I felt his covered length poke between my legs. I groaned at the feeling of it. I felt the courage, out of nowhere, to move my hands up his body and untie the ties to his shirt. He moved back a bit and I helped him struggled out of it. After throwing it into a dark corner of the room, he loomed over me like a dark predator over his prey. Naraku had a very nice bodyl. He was chiseled and muscled, pale and hairless. His skin was hot to the touch and burned with a pleasurable torment every time he pressed against me. I ran a hand down his chest, all the way down to his penis. It was large, hard and demanded attention. I felt the knot between my legs tightened and moisture flow out.

He kissed me desperately as he pressed me down to spread my legs wider, so as to give him more room to be closer. I felt his head press against my lips and I looked away, but he turned my face back to his with his mouth and gave me a soul-searing kiss that left me feeling breathless. He moved his lips away from me as he sat up and looked down at me with raging desire in his eyes. Like the opportunist that he was, he smirked and pushed into me with one thrust without warning. I screamed in pain and pleasure as he pulled out quickly and drove back into me at such speed.. I panted and moaned at each thrust, hearing the sounds of our juices squish and the slapping of his balls against my buttocks. He leaned back down and kissed me as he pumped into me harder and faster. I let him do as he pleased, if only he would continue and ease me from this... feeling...

He pulled my legs up higher on both sides of him as he fucked me harder and impossibly faster. His length was like a burning spear, driving into me and out, in and out. It drove into me so hard that it had my breast bouncing around and he took quite a bit of pleasure watching it. His penis was so hard inside me, and maddening, so wet and fulfilling. I hungered for it like a starved person. I writhed in his arms and wanted the warmth (even if temporary) that he gave me. I wanted more and begged him for it. He obliged and fucked me even harder and faster.

His thrusts were quick and deep, slick and hot. I wanted so much and he was giving it all to me, everything I wanted right now, he gave to me. Deeper and deeper, wetter and hotter. I felt myself coming close to cumming and pleaded for him to finish. He fucked me until all I could do was toss and turn with the torment of pleasure and pain until I came, hard and strong, but he wasn't done yet. He still pumped and pumped, groaning until he grunted loudly and came in a large rush, filling me with his hot seed. He slumped down on me, sweaty and almost burning to the touch, but I didn't mind at all. I wanted it, wanted his body next to mine because I felt so... empty... and he was the only drug keeping me intact at the moment... and I was desperate for more...

Sex didn't stop there for us. Naraku took me in all possible and almost impossible angles the whole rest of the night till morn, taking me like he had been starving for days and I let him. He barely let me sleep and when I did fall asleep, he woke me up by thrusting in me, licking me or fingering me. He did not grant me sleep until the sun rose and then he finally let me sleep.

Thoughts of Sesshoumaru wormed its way into my thoughts despite my protests against it. I knew that I would have to pay for the consequences of sleeping with another man, a man whom he detested greatly, that is, until he woke me up later by thrusting into me...

Later, as Naraku was coming close to orgasm, I clung to his body and moved his every thrust. He grunted loudly and a pool of warm liquid shot inside of me, mixing with my own cum from my last orgasm.

* * *

**END KAG/NAR LEMON SCENE!**

* * *

He slumped down on top of me and we laid like that until I heard the light breathing of his sleeping and still sweaty form. After a few moments, I felt a tear slide down my cheek.

Gods, how I _hated _men... and yet, how very _desperate _I was for them... how very desperate I was...


	17. Chapter 17

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Seventeen**_

_by PhoenixBlade_

* * *

_Crawling away in misery,_

_One once so bold,_

_The scent of thy naivety,_

_Is what had turned you cold._

* * *

Naraku kept me in his home, rather, his sleeping quarters for a while. In the confines of the room, I saw nothing but the blankness of his walls and the few things strewn around his room. He would not let me leave his room and had at least one of the Shichinintai at the door when he was gone. Where to, I had no clue, but they would always be outside the room guarding or waiting on my orders to get food or escort me to get a bath.

Not too soon after, I realized that Naraku had been slipping something into the food and had been using some drug to make me weak and sleepy so that I wouldn't wander off. Although I knew this, I decided to humor him. Why not? I had built up a strong immunity to poison and could take it. I wasn't expected back at the castle for a while, so did it matter? If only a temporary relief, he would have to do for now and my plans would need some tweaking in the meantime.

When Naraku finally did let me go, he had one final go with me, but after we both came, he bit me so hard in my hip, where an old scar laid, that I fainted from the pain, partly because of all the drug-laden food he given me. By the time I was awake, I was laying under a tree not too far away from the castle with Jakotsu sitting beside me. The sun was sinking over the horizon, it would be night soon...

I got up, groaning at the same time. Jakotsu helped me sit up and I accepted it, feeling a little dizzy from the leftover drugs and poison still in my system. I was suddenly hit with a pounding headache and threw a hand over my forehead to try to lessen the pain.

"My lady, are you alright?" he asked me, worry clear in his voice.

"...Yes..." I hissed as it began to lessen.

The headache passed after a while, leaving a slight throbbing in its wake. I tried to get up, but my legs refused to obey as I was still sore between the legs and was still under the effects of Naraku's presents that he had left me with. The headache returned in full force and I fell into Jakotsu's arms with both my hands on my head trying to quell the raging pain and the blood pounding in my ears.

"I am sorry my lady, but Naraku-sama must have used too much of the sleeping drugs on you and the poison as well when you two... During your nights with him..." he told me, not trying to cover up his master's deeds.

I grunted as the ache began to go away again, but instead, I felt sick to my stomach. Sick because of the things Naraku gave me and sick because I let him fuck me. I felt like throwing up as I recalled images of everything he did to me. Damn...

"Perhaps I should take you elsewhere. Although Naraku-sama said that it would be all right for you to return by now, I do not believe that you are in the right condition to return," he told me, worry etched in every word.

He sounded like a mother who was smothering her child with motherly goodness and such. Was he saying that I was too weak to deal with the youkai in the castle? Perhaps. I wasn't in the greatest of conditions at the moment, and the youkai who hated me could probably take me out in between my headaches and dizziness even if I had one or two strikes on him, but still...

"I will be fine," I snapped at him, giving him a stern look.

He didn't look pleased and opened his mouth to say something, but I dug my hand into his shoulder rather cruelly, stopping him from saying anything.

"I have to be fine, Jakotsu! I have to be fine, or else it would mean that I am weaker than the youkai who follow Sesshoumaru and especially his new youkai bitch," I said to him almost desperately, looking at him straight in the eye.

He turned away, unable to keep my gaze and nodded, "If my lady says so..."

I retracted my hand and let my head fall, letting the tiredness overcome me.

"But for now... Can you do me a favor?" I asked him, almost regretful of what I was about to do.

He looked at me, almost hesitant, probably scared that I would snap his head off, "What is it that my lady asks?"

I felt the effects of the drugs and poison take its toll and slumped against him. He immediately held onto me, worried about me passing out.

"My lady! My lady!" he called me frantically, but I was too tired to answer.

When he began shaking me, I finally answered him back, "Don't shake me. I'm awake..."

"My lady, you had me worried for a moment there..."

I felt tired, immensely tired.

"Let me... sleep for a bit... but bring me... to... the Her...Herbs... Mistress..." I managed to say before giving myself over to the sleep.

"...As my lady commands..." he whispered to me.

I grasped tightly onto his clothes and felt myself falling into an abyss of darkness.

* * *

I drifted awake in between the dream world and reality, catching bits and pieces of a conversation between two people who sounded vaguely familiar.

"...signs of penetration... various bruises and bite marks... scrapes... are traces of poison... used sleeping drugs on her..." an old female voice seemed to say.

I was falling back to sleep before I heard a male voice speak out and I almost immediately woke up, but began drifting back to sleep.

"...was she willing?..." came the male's question.

* * *

I didn't hear what the old woman was saying, but it sounded almost like hesitation before I fell back asleep.

I woke up later to the Herbs Mistress placing a cool cloth on my head.

"You're awake," she said.

"Obviously," I returned and began sitting up from the bed I was in.

She took the washcloth and watched me as I finally got up. There was a slight ache in my head and the remaining soreness between my thighs but it wasn't as bad as before. The drugs and poison seemed to have been flushed out of my system, but I was still a little groggy from it.

"Someone left you out in the herbal garden. I found you when I came out to get some herbs," she told me.

Jakotsu must have left me there...

"Did you see anyone else?" I asked her as I looked at her.

She shook her head, "No."

I looked away and began to get out of the bed.

"He came here," she told me and I stopped and looked at her.

"He? Sesshoumaru?" I asked her to confirm.

She nodded.

"You told him I was here?"

She sighed tiredly, "I had to. Sesshoumaru-sama has been looking for you for days since he got married-"

She stopped herself and hesitated.

"He got married, and?" I continued for her and she seemed surprised.

"You knew?"

"How could I not? Despite being a ningen, I still have other ears around the castle," I told her.

She sighed again, "He ordered everyone to tell him right away, should any of us find you."

It was my turn to sigh. I closed my eyes and imagined Sesshoumaru ordering everyone around to look for me. In my mind, he was angry. Perhaps he was angry when he gave the order. I didn't come back in time after all...

"You have some explaining to do as well," she spoke up, tearing me away from my thoughts.

I rose an eyebrow and she didn't look pleased at all.

"Those... marks on your body... the poison and drugs in you... and... that part of you which belongs to Sesshoumaru-sama... Were you raped?.. Or willing?" she asked.

"Gets straight to point, doesn't she?" I grinned sarcastically.

She frowned, "I'm serious Shikon-sama. Sesshoumaru-sama knows that someone has had you while you were away. He also seems to know who had taken you, but I don't recognize the man's smell... Assuming that it was a man."

He was already married with a wife to lay in bed with, so what more did he want with me, a ningen assassin compared to his youkai wife who was also a princess?

I chuckled quietly, "It was a man, and to be perfectly frank, yes, I let him take me."

Suddenly, a thundering aura full of murderous rage and demanding blood engulfed me, like a large tsunami crashing down on me. My miko senses were blaring danger and my body began tensing against the full fury of it all. My eyes slowly dragged itself across the room to the door and I stopped breathing as I felt the blood drain from my face. Sesshoumaru was there and his eyes were... red. His stripes on his face were jagged and his fangs bared. His beast was now in control. Herbs Mistress felt it too and I suddenly felt sorry for bringing her into it.

"Run," I told her.

"Wha-"

"RUN!" I yelled.

She looked at me one last time and fled the room through the other door. After her departure, I turned to Sesshoumaru who had not moved an inch, but was now heaving madly like a rabid dog and growling as if he was ready to battle. I noticed him tense up and began to bend slightly. I got off the bed and got ready to spring. He was going to jump... and he could jump far considering there many beds and whatnot between us.

Suddenly, I felt a sudden change in the air telling me what he was going to do and made a dash for it. He had jumped and I ducked beneath him as he flew over me to the bed I had been laying in. I threw things in the way and slammed the door closed as I flew passed it. There was an angry howling coming from the infirmary and I ran like there was no tomorrow once I heard the door break open. I ran through the halls, making it apparent that I was a large warning to all those who saw me that the master was in a very foul mood and ran for it. When Sesshoumaru's beast was in control, he could not tell a foe from a friend. To him, everyone in the way was clutter that needed to be thrown aside. He was not a merciful being.

"AHHHHHHHHH!" I heard one of the youkai let out a blood-curling scream.

The idiot wasn't fast enough to escape from Sesshoumaru's warpath. I felt him coming up very quickly, almost at my heels before I threw myself into a room and felt him fly barely over my head. I noticed white fur before looking ahead to where I was running to. He was now in his beast form. I ran through room after room and closed all the doors in hopes of gaining some time. Youkai after youkai in each room threw themselves against the walls or were killed for being in the way as I felt Sesshoumaru fly through the doors and walls to get to me.

There was no way of escaping his beast, but it didn't hurt to try... and then it would hurt a lot after finding out that escaping was out of the question once he caught you. I had been in one of his rages before, but it had been in battle only. It had been twice as frightening as he was in his normal self and twice as likely that you would die by his hand before you could even blink. I thought I had been scared before by his beast, but this was entirely new to me. I could hear the blood pounding in my ears, my body pushing itself to the limit and my lungs working its hardest to the point where it felt like it was going to burn any moment from being overworked. I was scared to death!

I felt the sweat on my brow drip onto my clothes, my nails digging deeply into my palms to the point of bleeding, the muscles in my legs wanting to give out. I was panting and working up all the energy that I could to outrun his beast, but my weak ningen body was nothing compared to an demonic beast who was now in berserker mode. I was still a bit weak and groggy from the after effects of the drugs and poison, and I hadn't eaten since I was at Naraku's. My energy was drained and I was depleted.

He roared loudly and it was close, a few meters close. I felt my hairs stand on end and I suddenly stopped and ducked and he flew over me again. I quickly turned and ran out the door which I entered and ran down the corridor. All the youkai in the area had now vacated, smelling the blood permeating the air and hearing Sessshoumaru's beast in action. I heard him growl loudly and realized that he was running next to me on the other side of the wall.

Fuck!

I saw another door ahead that led outside. Just a little more and maybe...

Suddenly, the wall ahead broke and I tried stopping but slipped and fell backwards. There was dust flying in the air and I couldn't see much, but felt him there, in front of me with his anger flaring in a mad rush. I crawled backwards as quick as I could, but all the running made my legs exhausted and they refused to move. I began dragging myself the other way, but the sound of Sesshoumaru's paws hitting the floor gave me a firm belief that today would probably be my last day alive. I stopped and turned to look behind me and saw that Sesshoumaru was not in his beast form, but the red rage in his eyes remained.

My blood froze and I stopped breathing altogether. I was going to die... no... worst off... He was going to...

Sesshoumaru finally made a move and I turned back and began dragging my sorry body across the floor in an attempt to escape from his clutches, but it was futile. He was suddenly before me, fisting his bloody claw into my hair and violently pulling me up as I screamed in pain. He slapped me hard across the face and I stopped screaming before he threw me against the wall, but it broke down once I came in contact with it. It didn't stop there. He had flung me so hard that I ended up going through several walls and furniture before I finally fell to the floor. I began coughing blood and trying to get some air into my lungs because the impact with the walls had been so hard, it had knocked the breath out of me. I was in unbearable pain all over and my body refused to move despite my mind telling it to obey.

I tried getting up, but Sesshoumaru was suddenly in front of me again with his claw grasping at my hair again. I tried screaming but ended up coughing blood again. He growled angrily as he dragged my pathetic body along the floor and I began to feel strength returning to my body. For once in my life, I decided to fight back. I tried clawing him and biting him, but to no avail, it only made him angrier. He snarled loudly at my mutinous attempt to get away and slapped me, stunning me for a few seconds and his grip became tighter. I kicked and once I found my voice back, I began screaming and spitting out blood as he snarled back at me. Suddenly, he flung me into a room and he slammed the door closed. With whatever I had left, I backed up until I felt something soft move against my hand. I looked and realized what kind of horrific event laid in store for me in this room, my room.

My eyes tore back to Sesshoumaru who was now very naked and still under the control of his beast, and I almost cried, I knew then that it would not be a good for me at all..


	18. Chapter 18

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Eighteen**_

_by PhoenixBlade_

_

* * *

_

I was confined to my room. Herbs Mistress was the only one allowed to come see me and tend to my...injuries... Sesshoumaru hadn't given me an ounce of mercy. After he finally had enough of me and left me sore, beaten and bleeding, I finally felt the tears sprang forth and cried silently into the night...

* * *

I heard the door close and opened my eyes. I stared up at my blank white ceiling as I listened to Herbs Mistress' footsteps quietly pad away down the hall until I could hear it no more. I laid awake and unmoving for a long time, thinking... just thinking... and hating everyone and everything... and I hated myself, most of all, for even breathing. I would have killed myself so that I could just die and let everything go... but death cannot resolve the anger in my heart, which held more power even over my own death.

I felt a brush of someone's aura touch me soothingly, as if trying to comfort me. I closed my eyes and let out a large sigh. It sounded aged and withered, an alien sound to my own ears despite it coming from me. I opened my eyes and turned my head slightly to the side, seeing Jakotsu and Bankotsu sitting there cross-legged, looking at me with concern.

"Do not concern yourself with pitying me. Afterall, I brought this upon myself," I told them sternly, but my voice was dry and hoarse, sounding worse than it was supposed to.

Bankotsu moved to say something, but Jakotsu stopped him. He hesitated for a bit then sat back down.

"How goes Inuyasha and the others in Shaffir?" I asked them, my voice still hoarse.

I had them watch Inuyasha and the others while I was with Naraku and currently, back at the castle.

They said nothing for a few moments.

"Well?"

Bankotsu shifted a bit in his position and finally spoke, "They have taken Kyoukotsu's appearance in the ningen domain as an act of open aggression against them and have decided to finally fight against the youkai."

But Kyoukotsu was a ningen... they mistook him for a youkai...

"Is that so?"

"What do you want us to do, my lady?" asked Jakotsu.

I looked away for a bit as I pondered. What indeed? I looked back at them.

"Just watch them for now... and if they move, send Ginkotsu to intercept them," I told them.

"As you wish," they bowed in unison and disappeared.

Long after they were gone, I was still looking at the spot where they had been seated.

* * *

I found myself wandering aimlessly around the palace for hours on end (as it was part of the healing process to exercise), almost tripping on the hem of the kimino I wore. Herbs Mistress sought to alleviate the burden of my duty by donning me in women's clothing. It had been a long battle, but she won in the end because it was part of the healing process from several weeks prior. I found myself bored and was itching to kill the guards at the front gates just so I could get out... But leaving was a different matter.

I looked through a window that I was passing, Outside, from where one of the gates stood, were guards. Since Sesshoumaru had left after our little... tryst, he had ordered guards posted at every entrance and exit. Guards had been posted at the gates before, but it had only been a few and they hadn't minded if you went or came, but these ones were thorough and very strict on who left or wanted in. Aside from the gates, there were more who wandered around the courtyards and the hallways. Although the general consensus for anyone who knew nothing of our "relationship" (should one call it that) was that he was doing this to safe guard his new wife, the truth of the matter was that he didn't want Naraku snatching me away again. I was his property... and he was very possessive of what he believed was his.

"Ningen," a female voice spat out in disgust.

I snapped out of my thoughts and looked up at the speaker. A youkai, female at that, and she was dressed very... elaborately. She was very beautiful, though not quite as beautiful as Sesshoumaru, but still very beautiful. She had long flowing ebony hair and equally dark eyes. Her face was pale, albeit a bit darker than Sesshoumaru's own skin, touched with a bit of pink blush. Her lips were hidden behind a raised hand which was hid beneath sleeve that told me of many layers upon layers of many various colored silk. Her outer layer was a beautiful blue with silver flowers designed all over it. Behind her stood several servants, none of which belonged to Sesshoumaru's household. It was then that it dawned on me as I looked at her face (which told me of how much she was repulsed by my presence), who she was.

A smirk almost came to my lips but I suppressed it. Who wouldn't be repulsed by a ningen wandering around freely in her new husband's house? Although I was one not to back down when a youkai looked down on me, I wasn't looking forward to getting in a fight either. I was simply not in the mood.

I looked down and moved to the side, much like any of the other servants in the house. His wife didn't move, instead, like any woman who grew up in the court learning only to look pretty and be above others (ningens especially), her royal highness decided to grace me with her voice.

"Why is there a ningen in my husband's house?" she asked, clearly annoyed and disgusted by me.

It was not a question. It was meant to demean me. I sank my head down a bit more and bit my tongue. I tasted blood.

"Lady Kuroki, perhaps it is best not to give your attention to one as low as this... creature. We must be on our way," one of the maids answered.

The new Lady of the Western Lands scoffed and headed off to her destination with her maids in tow. I waited till their footsteps were no longer heard and rose my head back up. I looked down the way she went and hoped that I didn't come across the Bitchy Bitch of the West again. I turned and walked, not knowing where to go, not caring, and not paying attention until I slid the door closed behind me and looked up.

I was in the garden. It was dark now, but the lamps were lit around. Someone had come through before me to light them. I looked up at the night sky and breathed in the fresh air, wondering why I hadn't realized that it had become evening already. I breathed in the night air again, feeling it fill my lungs. As I exhaled, I felt my tense muscles relax and myself calm down. If only life itself were like this... If only...

_"Behold such a prize_

_Silence wrapped in gold and silk_

_Caged birds do not sing."_

My attention was immediately on the unwanted person intruding upon my alone time. A dark figure stood just a ways away from the light casually leaning against a wall. Although I could not see him well, I could tell who he was from his aura. I scowled at him as he pushed himself from the wall and began walking towards me. I suddenly felt sick to my stomach as I remembered our time together that I should have never allowed myself to take part in

"A poem, and I dedicate it to you, koi. Did you like it? It was written by the great Sesshoumaru-sama. Quite the poet, if I do say so myself..." spoke the bastard as he neared.

"Naraku..." I hissed in disgust.

His face came into view as he passed a nearby latern and came closer to me with that smarmy look on his face. I took a step back as he came to stand several feet away from me. The grin on his face grew and those crimson eyes of his sparkled with amusement.

"Tsk tsk tsk. I leave you alone for a little while and instead of the purring kitten whom I made love to in the last few weeks, I get a snarling lioness with fangs bared. What happened to the lovely pet who wanted to spread her legs for me?"

I couldn't bare looking at him anymore and turned away. It was shameful just to look at him. He was a sorry reminder of how weak I was, fleeing to another man because of... that stupid feeling I contracted after Sesshoumaru shut me out to get married.

Two hands placed themselves on my shoulders from behind me. They were cold, their iciness seeping through the kimono, caressing my skin. I shivered and dared not look at Naraku. If I did, I didn't know what I would do to him... or have him do to me...

A wet tongue licked the shell of my ear before nibbling it, "My precious, have you missed me?"

His hands languidly slid down my shoulders towards my covered bosom. I began raising my hands to push him away, but before either of us could do anything, Naraku immediately stopped and jumped away as I threw myself away from danger. A green acidic whip lashed out where we were standing, cracking a rock nearby in half and breaking the cobbled path. I found myself in the koi pond, soaked from head to foot and being weighed down by the now heavily drenched kimono. The koi in the pond darted in every direction, quick to get away from the intruder that was me. I scowled and tried getting myself out of the water as I watched the scene before me.

Sesshoumaru... It was Sesshoumaru standing not too far away from where I was trying to get out and blocking Naraku's way to me. Naraku stood, composed but a bit stiff, but seemingly relaxed, which was odd considering how he was almost sliced in half.

"Ah, Sesshoumaru-sama," Naraku almost sneered, "what a pleasant surprise. If you didn't mind too much, I was reacquainting myself with this vision of loveliness."

I scoffed as I dragged my soggy self out of the koi pond, finding it hard to maneuver in all the layers I wore that were thoroughly soaked.

"Leave," Sesshoumaru finally spoke.

His voice was full of venom and suppressed anger. He was making it very clear that he didn't want to see Naraku. Naraku merely grinned and vanished. Sesshoumaru looked at me as I began squeezing out the excess water from the kimono. He said nothing.

"Aren't you going to say something?" I finally said, annoyed with the silence between us after several minutes.

He said nothing and I ignored it then, continuing my task, hoping he'd leave... but he didn't. Instead, he quietly walked over and put his hands over my working ones. I stopped and looked at him, confused by his odd actions. His face was expressionless, which he seemed to be doing a lot lately, even between the two of us. He rose a clawed hand and moved aside some wet hair that was plastered on my face, and gently caressed my cheek. I was on my guard. He was acting strange.

His other hand made me drop the area of my kimino which I was working on and pushed my hands to the side. With both hands, he undid the ties to my obi and let it fall to the ground. Silently, he made short work of my drenched kimino and finally slid it all off my shoulders. The heavy fabric fell around my feet in a loud plop! The air was cold, tickling at my wet and naked form. I felt no embarrassment in front of Sesshoumaru because I had been naked in front of him many times before.

I expected him to do something... Something which involved a lot of clawing and blood... but oddly enough, there was none. He was looking at my body, poking and prodding at my "injuries." When I flinched from the pain, he gently stroked the area until the pain went away. He continued this until the chill of the night made my skin cold from head to toe. He took off his haori and wrapped it around me. It was large, reaching down to my knees, but it was still warm with his body heat. His breath fanned over my face softly as he moved my hair out from under his haori. I said nothing and merely observed with caution because he was acting... strange.

When he was finally done, he took my hand and held it in his. I had never noticed this before, but his hands were large, much larger than mine. He turned my hand over in his, facing the palm of my hand to the night sky. His other hand traced over the lines on my hand. It was ticklish and I squirmed a bit. He held my hand on tight, but he was gentle. The pads of his clawed fingers pressed onto my hand as if he were memorizing it. Why? I didn't know, but it did things to me. I almost forgot how to breathe as I concentrated on the strange feelings he was invoking in me by just touching my hand.

Suddenly, he stopped and I remembered to take in air, as if I had been in some sort of trance. He began tugging my hand towards him. I didn't comply and stood rooted to my spot. After tugging harder, I fell forward into his embrace. His claws ran through my wet locks of hair. It was soothing and it didn't help that he was warm and somehow soft. I didn't want to leave his embrace. I was... comfortable.

One hand closed around my waist and he held me impossibly closer to him. He dug his nose into my hair and took a big whiff as his other hand stroked up and down my back. This was odd, this was not the Sesshoumaru that I knew and yet... and yet I did not want to leave his embrace. It made me feel somehow... at peace...

Why... why now? Why are you so gentle to me, now of all times?

Of course, questions never asked can never be answered.


	19. Chapter 19

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Nineteen**_

_by PhoenixBlade_

_

* * *

_

"Your wife will not be pleased..." I gasped as I moved up and down his length.

It had been a several weeks since Sesshoumaru had returned and he had spent each night with me in my new room instead of being in bed with his wife who was sleeping alone in their quarters in the west wing, far away from mine. He had lain with her on their first night (or so I had been told) and since then, had not gone back to her.

"Forget her," he moaned in pleasure.

His clawed hands moved down from stroking my breasts to my hips. He grabbed my hips and began moving me faster.

"She will not forget me," I hissed.

He barked after I went down hard on him, "She will not find out."

"B-but... if she d-does?" I almost screamed in ecstasy.

His claws dug into my hips and stopped me. I winced at the slight pain, but groaned at the delay.

"Are you worried?" he asked me.

"You have a wife."

He smirked and turned me over so that I was on the bottom. He leaned down until our noses were touching. He moved his member out until all that remained inside was the tip.

"You have no need to worry, watashi no chiisai shinju. Should the time come, I will deal with it," he assured me, "but until then..."

His mouth covered mine as he thrust in deeply.

* * *

_Dream sequence begins..._

* * *

"Kagome!"

I turned around and was greeted with a not so happy Kaa-san who had one hand on her hip at the door of our house.

I had done something wrong again... and I knew what it was.

"You come over here now, young lady!" her tone was sharp and meant business.

My hands shot up as I rose to defend myself, "Kaa-san! There's a good reason why I did it! Please don't get angry!"

I shook my hands furiously as she growled in anger and stomped her way towards me. I began backing up, but she was quick and slapped my face. It was quick, but painful enough to send me to the ground sobbing.

"Good reason! What good reason is there when young Miu has a broken arm, the village elder's granddaughter has bruises all over her body and the shopkeeper's daughter has a bloody face and broken nose!"

I cringed and looked away.

"They all said that it was you who gave them those injuries! Their parents expected repayment for what you've done! Do you know what I had to go through for what you did! Do you!" she screamed at me.

I got angry and stood up, "They deserved it! They all said that I was the bastard child of a skirt-chasing Tou-san!"

The slap was quicker than the first one, and harder. It caught me by surprise and I fell to the floor crying. I felt the heat and sharp sting of the slap spread all over my cheek. It hurt!

"Don't you dare belittle your Otou-san!" she spoke to me quietly, but the words were said through clenched teeth, thunderous in their meaning.

I held my swelling cheek and turned to look at my Kaa-san, tears still falling from my eyes. She was crying as well, but she was still angry.

"I'm not be-litt-ling Tou-san," I spoke through sobs.

"What makes you think your Otou-san is a bad man! Your Otou-san is a hero and a good man! You should hold your head high and ignore those rumors!" she scolded me.

Hold my head high and ignore those rumors? What good would that do? Otou-san had left Kaa-san and I for another woman, and everyone in the village knew that! Even if he had been one of the great heroes of the great war, noone wanted to be friends with an unwanted child nor have anything to do with a family that had been abandoned by that man.

I felt the anger rush back in full force. Those girls had been taunting me from day one, the day my Tou-san left and after taking all the insults they had put me through, I finally snapped. When the verbal insult became rocks and shoving me into the dirt, I struck back with a vengeance. Why? Why should I take all this abuse for a father who had willingly left us to face the humiliation and shame from others?

"If he was so good, why did he leave us!"

Kaa-san became unbearably quiet, putting me at great unease. Then suddenly, with the rage of a thousand storms and the tears of hundreds, she fled with sorrow and pain trailing after her...

* * *

_Dream sequence ends..._

* * *

I woke up feeling groggy. I had a dream of the past again. They were appearing in my dreams more frequently. I shook my head squinted my eyes. The light streaming into the room hurt my eyes for some reason. I rose a hand to rub my eyes, but something wet made contact with the back of my hand. I got up and quickly looked at it, worried that I had somehow bled during the night. Instead, I was astounded by what I saw instead. It was odd and it was strange. I used my other hand to wipe the other side of my eye and saw the same thing. I was a pitiful creature. I had cried in my sleep...

Knock! Knock!

I sniffed and quickly wiped the rest of remained of my tears, not allowing to show any signs of weakness.

"Who is it?"

"I am Lady Kuroki's maidservant, Lady Shikon," came a muffled voice.

I scoffed lightly. What did that woman want?

"Is there something that she wishes of me?" I asked her with a hint of annoyance and anger in my voice.

The maidservant was a bit hesitant.

"Well?" I asked more forcefully this time.

"U-um, because Lord Sesshoumaru is away from the palace for the time being, Lady Kuroki is lonely and asks for your company. She wishes to have tea with you," came the reply.

Tea with me? The woman abhorred ningens, most of all me, because I was Sesshoumaru's little ningen pet. Whether she knew of our nights together or not, nothing was brought forth about it from her. Of all times to be meeting up with me to, whether to confront me or exact some sort of revenge, it was the best. Sesshoumaru left to meet up with some of his troops to fight against a group of powerful youkai that had sought to take over the eastern domain of his land. He took, with him, many of his generals and men, including Hiten.

Still, I had no right to decline an offer from her to have tea. As much as I would have liked to avoid her, her father was a powerful man and Sesshoumaru needed his power and if I were to jeopardize it because I simply did not want to have tea with her, it could interfere with my plans.

"...Very well," I told the maidservant.

"...I will tell Lady Kuroki that you accept. Lady Kuroki would prefer it if you wore a kimono. When you are ready, she will be in the tea hall. By your leave..." she said and left.

It was rather odd that she would invite me to tea like we were good friends. I had no friends for one thing and the woman was disgusted at the sight of me. I had to be on my guard. I chose one that was lavender silk with pink sakura falling down the length of the kimono. After donning the kimono, I placed a silver pin in one of the inner sleeves. Before Sesshoumaru had left, he had warned me to stay clear of his wife and to always be on my guard.

I left my room and made my way to the tea hall. As I walked, I noticed that there weren't many servants around, or to be more precise, none at all. I didn't hear the bustling of servants cleaning rooms, or the whispering between one another as I passed by. I couldn't even hear the sounds of the cicadas or birds singing. The only thing I could hear was the deafening sound of my feet hitting the ground and the sound of fabric sliding across the floor. This was odd indeed...

When I reached the tea hall. I knelt down by the sliding door and lightly tapped on it.

"Yes?" came her voice.

"I have arrived, Lady Kuroki," I said.

"Enter."

I entered the room with my head bowed low and slid the door close behind me. I bowed to her, taking notice that the room was seemingly empty with several painted scrolls on the walls, a small table in the middle of the room with one cushion on one side and Lady Kuroki sitting on the other side. She was dressed in an elaborate and beautiful kimono that greatly portrayed her youkai beauty. I suddenly felt very naked. My femininity was a disgrace compared to her.

"Come sit, Shikon," she told me.

It sounded austere and commanding despite its grace and softness. So much for wanting my company...

I did as she wanted and sat down with my head still slightly bowed, across from her. On the table were two porcelain cups with gold rimming and sakura on it. I looked over to her side and saw the teapot cooling down on a stand. It was still hot.

"I wanted to serve you tea myself so there are no servants here to wait on us," she said as she gracefully picked up the teapot.

I sat in silence with head still bowed as she poured the tea in both of our cups. The steam from the tea rose and caressed against my face as she placed the teapot back on the stand. When the tea settled (rather quickly), I stared at my reflection on the clear-green tea surface.

"Please drink some, Shikon. This tea was brewed from specially grown tea leaves from my father's personal garden that he himself cares for," she told me.

The details were insufficient. Tea was tea... even if it was grown by the King or Kami-sama himself... but this tea...

I bowed to her and daintily rose the tea cup to my lips. As I used one sleeve to cover me drinking it, I deftly pulled the silver pin from my sleeve and placed it in the cup and intentionally made some of the tea drip down on the front of my kimono, staining it.

I made a sound of surprise and placed the cup back down on the table as I quickly hid the silver pin in my sleeve and bowed in apology.

"I apologize my lady. Forgive me but I am not very skilled in drinking tea. Please allow me to return to my room and change," I begged her.

She didn't seem very impressed nor happy. She was annoyed and a little... disappointed.

"A little spill is of no consequence. You can remain here and drink tea with me," she told me, flustered and seemingly annoyed.

I bowed my head lower, "I beg of you my lady. You requested my presence, but I am unsuitable for presenting. Please allow me to return to my room so that I may return with a more presentable appearance."

She huffed in anger, "Very well."

I bowed and left. About halfway down to my room, I pulled out the silver pin from my sleeve and looked at it. Sure enough, the color had changed. I had almost been poisoned if not for the training that Sesshoumaru had me go through and even made me drank to strengthen my immune system. Mukotsu was also a one who delves into poisons and dabbled with it, happily enjoying my company while teaching me a thing or two that I had not known before.

I scowled at the pin and once I got into my room, I threw it at some corner of the room. There was a thunk sound and out of the corner of my eye, I saw that it had wedged its way into the wall. I quickly got out of my kimono and put on my battle attire. I grabbed my sword and stuffed my darts into my gauntlets. Things from here on out would be difficult and I had to be ready.

Just as I was grabbing my bell necklace, there was a knock on my door.

"Yes?" I answered.

Instead of the maidservant's voice who had spoken to me earlier when I had just woke, it was the voice of male youkai, rough and forceful with no hint of courtesy or humbleness in it, "We're here to escort you back to Lady Kuroki."

"You'll have to wait until I finish getting ready," I told him as I placed the necklace over my head.

"Lady Kuroki insists that you come out NOW!" he yelled.

"She may insist, but you will wait," I replied back nonchalantly.

There was a yell and my door was broken down. Five armored youkai whom I didn't recognize, ran into the room with spears pointed at me. I gripped onto my bell necklace with one hand and my sword with the other.

"Waiting is not an option, ningen!" he growled at me.

All of them lunged towards me as I let go of the bell. When it hit my breastplate, all of the youkai were dead or dying.

I wiped their blood off with a towel nearby and tossed it at the leader of the five youkai who was on the ground, gurgling and gasping for breath. I walked to the door, but stopped before exiting and turned back at them.

"I have just remembered that I have business elsewhere. I shall have tea with the Lady some other time, perhaps...?"

There was a chorus of growls and moans of pain. I turned back to the hallway and once I stepped out, I realized that both ends of the hallway were blocked with youkai in full armor and wielding weapons. I could feel youkai in every corner of the palace and outside, all were bloodthirsty and ready to kill me.

"Ningen!" they roared and growled with disgust.

I scoffed and readied for the battle for my life.


	20. Chapter 20

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Twenty**_

_by PhoenixBlade_

_

* * *

_

_I felt it... The weariness... _

"GARRRRRRRR!" screamed the youkai I had just stabbed through.

_My muscles were tightening, making my moves slower and my reflexes stiff._

Two youkai jumped at me with weapons intending to kill. I tore my sword out from the most recent youkai's neck, squirting blood out at me as I struck the two down.

_My arm felt heavy, and my weapons, heavier._

Slashing a youkai across the torso, I quickly pulled out the dagger hidden in my waist and shoved it behind me. There was a scream after the dagger hit in deep and I tore it out to stab another youkai that got in my way.

_My armor began chaffing me, making it almost difficult for me to breathe._

I ran quickly down the small hallway, paying more attention to the sound of my footsteps and my heartbeat racing than the growls and screams from the living and dying youkai. There were many more youkai behind me as I made a path in front of me. Pulling darts from wherever I could find it on my body, I threw them as quickly as the youkai came into my line of sight.

_I could feel sweat practically pouring off me as I forced my body forward after each step. Blood, belonging to both my pursuers and myself, was soaked in my hair as well as my clothes. _

Clink! Clunk! Clink! Clink!

Sparks flew as my sword connecting with one of the youkai's swords. I was now running outside in the garden, avoiding youkai that were swinging and throwing things at me aside from the one in front of me. He thrust forward and I parried. Swinging around him, I stabbed the one behind him and before he could turn around, I cut his head off. I was now relying on the weight of my weapons and my body. I was weak and fatigued, and the only way I could survive from now on was to throw my own body around.

_I felt dizzy and breathing was hard. My lungs had been pushed too hard to the point that it no longer wanted to work. The cuts and wounds I had received were only helping to bring me down. If I didn't end this soon..._

Running back inside the building, I realized where I was and finally saw it, the door to the Tea Hall.

_I felt the bell bump against my armor, listening to its rings that warned of death. Was it possible that it was ringing for me?..._

Only a couple of yards left. I threw my remaining darts at the youkai waiting in front of the door. They all went down and I jumped over their bodies to the door. Throwing my arms forward, I shoved the door open. Stumbling in, I slammed the sliding doors shut and all the youkai that had been behind me stopped at the door, but didn't dare come in. I slumped down as my sword clanked down the ground, never leaving my grasp. I didn't dare lean against the doors in case the youkai behind me decided to play "poke for the ningen" through the paper thin door.

"Silence!"

The voice was loud and clear, commanding and dictating. The yelling and screaming from the youkai died down to nil. Breathing hard, I slowly raised a heavily bloodied arm to wipe the blood that was flowing down from my hair, partially from the youkai I killed and partially from the wounds I had received. A youkai had taken a swipe at me and instead of getting my neck, I managed to duck in time to get my head slashed. Wiping it would do no good though, my bloody sleeve only served to smear the blood across the rest of my face, but at least it wasn't in my eyes anymore. I sank more into the floor, wishing to become one with it.

I coughed as I took in a couple of deep breaths. It was hard to breathe.

"Hmph! Still alive, ningen?" came the voice, filled with feminine superiority.

After a couple of breaths, I looked up and saw Lady Kuroki. She was sitting across the room drinking tea and holding her tea cup delicately like it was any other day. She didn't take notice of my appearance and didn't seem to care about the condition I was in. To both sides of her were her maidservants who merely regarded me as rubbish. Looking at her more closely, I noticed that she was now in a different kimono, less elaborately decorated than the one before. Perhaps it was to show me that she didn't want her best kimono ruined when she killed me.

"Well?" she sneered at me, "Have you no respect for the Lady of your Lord? Bow ningen!"

After a few attempts, I finally had enough strength to raise my sword and stab it into the floor so I could use it was a leverage to help me move to a kneeling position. There was a tickling in my throat and I began coughing. I coughed until I felt something warm fill my mouth and threw up. I moved my hand to wipe the remaining liquid on my mouth, but coughed into it. After I finished coughing, I looked at it and realized that it was blood.

"It doesn't look like you'll live much longer, ningen," the Lady Kuroki said nonchalantly as she took another sip.

I rose my heavy hand and dug into my blood soaked hair. Pulling out my last dart, I threw it at the youkai bitch, but my coordination was off. It broke her tea cup instead.

My hand fell as she immediately got to her feet in a huff of anger. Her maid servants bared their fangs at me.

"Insolent bug! You broke my most treasured tea cup!" she screamed.

I managed a slight smirk and lightly shrugged.

"Even in the face of death, you still act out like a pup!" she growled.

Before I knew it, she disappeared one moment and in the next, she had her claw around my throat and held me up in the air. I coughed, gasping for as much air as I could.

"Look at you, a weakling, a mere ningen!" she scowled and threw me to one side of the room.

I hit the wall, knocking the air from my lungs and as soon as I hit the floor, a series of coughs caught me as I breathed in air. I could barely get up, but managed to get into a sitting position and slumped against the now bloody and cracked wall, no longer caring if someone wanted to stab me through the wall.

"And yet..! Why! Why did he choose a NINGEN over me! His wife, princess of the Lord of the Northern Lands!" she screamed in rage.

I noticed a slight change in her voice and her eyes were glazed over with hatred and anger. My sight began to blur and I focused more intently on her to stay conscious. Her fangs were bared and she her claws were poised and ready, which had now grown longer than before into something more inhuman looking, like a gnarled tree branch.

Although I knew I shouldn't and I was usually not one to spout out petty things when facing a formidable enemy when I was down, I couldn't help my smirk again and say in between breaths, "Perhaps... your... bed skills... just... weren't... on par..."

They were words that belonged to one who would die and Lady Kuroki was beyond control now. Her maid servants moved to stop her from changing into a beast because it was unladylike, but they were unlucky. In the next moment, she was licked away their blood and then screamed as she readied to jump at me. I closed my eyes, prepared for the end as I felt her move with incredible youkai speed towards me.

Suddenly, for a split second, I felt another incredible youkai presence and then there was a loud crash. My eyes snapped open and focusing my eyesight, I noticed something white, but blurry standing over what appeared to be Lady Kuroki, something with long white hair and wore spiky armor. It was probably because I had been hit too many times on the head, but although I knew who he was, I could not place his name on my tongue.

"You-you returned my lord!" Lady Kuroki stammered, like a mischievous child who had just been caught by her parents.

"You didn't listen to me when I told you to leave her alone," he scolded her monotonously.

"B-but she overstepped her boundaries!" retorted the Lady.

"You overstepped your boundaries by confusing my men and you almost took away what belongs to me," he boomed in an even voice.

"W-what belongs t-to y-you...?"

The move was so quick that I almost missed it, but the sound resounded off the walls and she was on the ground. She had just been slapped.

"I told you and you ignored me and because of that, you shall be punished."

She suddenly went stiff, then immediately went to groveling and begging for mercy as she clutched to the bottom of his pants.

"N-no! Don't do this to me my lord! She is but a mere ningen and a pest that I wanted to get rid of for you!" she began begging, but he ignored her.

"You are hereby stripped of your status as the Lady of the Western Lands. All your men and servants will be killed on the spot. Henceforth, Kuroki, you are now forever banned from the Western Lands!"

"NO!" she screamed as he called in his men.

Two youkai came in and dragged her unwillingly and struggling form out the doors. He turned around, ignoring the screams of threat and slander from the insidious youkai lady. Off in the distance, I heard sounds of weapons and clanking armor.

"Kagome..."

My attention returned to the white figure before me who had spoken my name. I had to look up to see his face as blood dripped down my face, forcing me to close one eye. I watched his golden eyes scan across my face and a clawed hand rose to my bruised cheek. I flinched when it made contact.

"Kagome..." he repeated and I knew instantly who it was.

Something akin to a smile took ahold of my lips. I leaned into that clawed hand, seeking its warmth and comfort that I had wanted so badly. Satisfied, I closed my eyes and gave into the darkness that desperately called for me.


	21. Chapter 21

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Twenty One**_

_by PhoenixBlade_

* * *

_Return to me little one,_

_Rejoice for I shall treat you kindly,_

_Warmth to fuel your days of hatred,_

_Mine to satisfy and please me._

* * *

_Kagome..._

"What...? Who is calling for me...?"

_Kagome... you... are weak..._

"Weak? I am not weak! I am the Shikon no Tama! I cannot be weak!"

_But you are... You've killed whole armies in one night, leaving with a few scratches... and yet... this time... you were mortally wounded..._

"..."

_The Shikon no Tama is losing her power... You have become tainted._

"I have always been tainted! Since the first night Sesshoumaru took me!"

_You are tainted by Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha..._

"..."

_Had you the power to do so, you could have wiped out all the men under Kuroki with your miko powers and yet, you did not._

" Had I killed all the youkai in the palace, Sesshoumaru would have no more soldiers to protect the palace because the many soldiers who fought me were his. Had I destroyed Sesshoumaru's palace, he would have had nothing to return to and his enemies would swarm us. Had I used my powers, I would have had no powers to defeat Kuroki nor would I wish to kill her else I would turn Sesshoumaru's rage upon me."

_Ah... So you care about what Sesshoumaru thinks of you?_

"..."

_Even if you had used all your power as a miko to take care of the soldiers, you would have had enough power of your own to take on Kuroki. She had been born and bred as a princess, raised to be a wife instead of a soldier. She would have been an easy defeat for you..._

"..."

_Unless... you wanted Sesshoumaru to come for you._

"No!"

_Inuyasha's soft heart has tainted you. Your sword had slowed because you can no longer disregard life. Sesshoumaru's kindness has also tainted you. You now rely on him, pleasing him than doings things on your own whim. Your Shichinintai have become your eyes and your ears, and now your own have dulled. You have truly become a weak ningen..._

"I... am not weak!"

_You say not, and yet, you are..._

"I am not! I cannot be!"

_You forget... Remember what Hiten said? You are a __**ningen**__. Ningen cannot close off their feelings forever..._

"Ningen..."

_Trained youkai are strong, they can close off their own emotions, but you, you grew up loved and you knew hatred through your father then later through Seshoumaru and Kami-sama's unwillingness to save you and the villagers. You have lost your truths, but cannot close off your emotions, for you have been using hatred as your support since you became the Shikon no Tama. You cannot lose your feelings, there are no excuses for you now. It is your folly as a ningen that you have it and because of it, it has made you weak. You are a fool, Kagome..._

"I... am... weak..."

* * *

When I regained consciousness, it was Sesshoumaru who I first saw, instead of Herbs Mistress who it should have been.

"You're awake," he said as he squeezed a wet cloth in his hands.

I looked away, "Should I not be?"

He placed the wet cloth on my forehead, "You've been unconscious for almost a week. I was starting to wonder if I should promote Hiten to your position or not."

I scoffed. Even if he could get the position, Hiten couldn't hit a fly from a mile away, there was no way that I'd let him.

"You're acting like a child," he suddenly said.

I was annoyed by that comment.

"You're mothering me too much, my lord. Perhaps you should go kill some enemy youkai," I told him.

"Hn," was his reply and after a long silence, left me.

Herbs Mistress returned and took care of me until I got better. In all that time, Sesshoumaru never came back.

"You must take care of yourself well, my lady, else I see you here again, and I do not wish to see you here again in the condition that you always arrive in; bloody, damaged and unconscious," she told me as I tied the sash around my new armor.

I let out a laugh, "Rest assured Herbs Mistress. I'll be sending in others who will."

She shook her head at my ignorance and gave me a few more lectures before letting me go. After leaving the infirmary, I met up with Hiten in the hallway who held a scroll in his hands. He had been waiting for me.

"It's rather odd to see one such as you waiting for a ningen," I smirked at him.

He scowled at me and handed me the scroll, "My Lord requested that I inform you of things that have transpired since you've been out of action while I accompany you down to meet with him in the War Room, and to give you that scroll. In there will be your next task."

"Very well," I sighed, taking the scroll and slid it between my sash and armor as we walked, "what has happened since I was 'out of action?'"

"It seems that after your little show with Kuroki," he began and I scowled at the thought of that bitch, "Lord Sesshoumaru sent her back to her father, claiming that she was no longer his wife."

I turned immediately to look at him, slightly stunned to think that he would do such a thing, "He married her to gain more land without fighting, and he just threw her out?"

"Apparently, she overstepped her boundaries and he banished her from ever returning. Of course, he sent her back alone."

I was confused," Alone, you say? What happened to all her servants and the soldiers that she had with her when they attacked me? Or Sesshoumaru's soldiers that sided with her? Shouldn't they have gone back with her?"

Hiten scoffed, "Lord Sesshoumaru executed all her soldiers for trying to take over the throne."

"Take over the throne?" I asked as we took a turn down a hallway towards the War Room.

Hiten nodded, "Although she is Seshoumaru's wife, she has essentially no power or say over his army. Their switching sides to kill you, a higher ranked officer, is a sign of mutiny and rebellion. Aside from ours, her soldiers were another matter. Those soldiers do not belong to her. They are under her father and since their aim was to kill you, it shows that they were trying to seize the throne."

"Seize the throne? Shouldn't it have been his wife who had to look after it?" I asked.

Hiten was a bit annoyed at my slow thinking, "Since Lord Sesshoumaru was not present during that time, you were the highest ranked officer, the one in charge of protecting his throne. His wife holds no power over it especially since she has not birthed him any children, and since her father's soldiers were trying to kill you, it meant that he was trying to take over."

A few soldiers saw us go by and bowed.

"So all their soldiers were executed... and those that were under Lord Sesshoumaru, 'switched' sides?"

"They either took their own lives or reswore their lives back to our Lord," he told me.

I shook my head and scoffed, "Idiots."

I turned to look up as we approached the War room, where Sesshoumaru was. The guards at the doors bowed to us and opened the doors. Entering the room, we were met with an armored Sesshomaru, the faces of Sesshoumaru's best generals, a few allies and one very bloody and disheveled-looking elderly youkai that was bound with chains. Hiten greeted them and introduced us. I didn't bother bowing, instead, I kept my attention on the bound youkai as he tried to lift his bloody head to look up. He didn't look like he was going to live much longer. He saw me and immediately tried to break out of his chains, obvious that he didn't like what he saw.

"Is this her! Is this the ningen that you destroyed my country for, Sesshoumaru!" the old youkai yelled in anger.

One of the generals walked over and punched his face. I heard a crack and saw a few teeth fly. He began coughing out for air and blood poured out from his mouth. I winced, remembering when blood bled from my own when I faced Kuroki.

"My dear Kuroki," he coughed as Sesshoumaru merely stared out the open doors to the balcony, "my darling daughter was overshadowed by a mere ningen! You, a reknown ningen-hater, bedding one and making her your right-hand! It sickens me when I think of that! My dear Kuroki, how heart-broken she must have been! To be tossed aside for a ningen and then torn apart by your hands even though she had been begging to be spared! I know that it was you who killed her! My soldiers who survived and fled with me told me, but then they were killed later by you as well!"

All were quiet in the room, except the chained youkai. Sesshoumaru had killed the princess, she who was once his wife before he turned her away for trying to kill his ningen.

Sesshoumaru finally broke away from the window and went to stand near the youkai, bending down to look at him in the face.

"You are here for a reason, Lord Youjiro," Sesshoumaru had avoided his outburst and spoke to him in a cold tone that sent shiver down everyone's spines, "You are to be executed for trying to usurp my throne."

The old youkai began cackling in a gurgled voice, "Usurp? After all the trouble I went through, entrusting my daughter to you so that we could have a strong alliance, you think-no, you want everyone to think that I wanted to take over your throne!"

Sesshoumaru walked away from him with a frown as the old youkai continued laughing.

Lord Youjiro suddenly stopped laughing and said in an angry voice, "Yes, yes I wanted your throne! I wanted your power and your lands! That's why I sent my foolish daughter in so that she could spy on you, but that idiot had to be jealous of a stupid ningen and take matters into her own hands before I could even start! And it could have been accomplished if not for that pet of yours over there!"

He looked at me with hatred and distaste in those eyes that hid behind dirty, bloody-hair, but I remained unfazed.

One of Seshoumaru's allies stepped forward, "Those who serve Sesshoumaru and are successful are fit to be by his side. You were a fool to underestimate Lord Sesshoumaru's strength and might."

Sesshoumaru looked at me for a second, our eyes met before he returned to the now-snarling lord, "Lord Youjiro."

The old youkai turned his angry eyes back to Seshoumaru. He was truly a disgusting and pitiable sight.

"You are truly a pathetic and rather brainless man. Did you think that your little scheme could outwit me or my vassals? As personal as you'd like to make this, I must remind you however, that this is all purely political. You tried to take my throne away when I was gone from the premises and tried to take what belonged to me, my soldiers. For this dimwitted move of yours, I have but no choice to have my generals and other lords as witnesses for your execution. It is a high honor, former lord, to be executed personally by me," he told the man with a steady, ruthless voice.

I felt goosebumps on my arms. Sesshoumaru was hardly the kind of person to do anything like this. When he needed someone killed or executed, he did it then and there, usually by someone else's hand.

Lord Youjiro tried to reason with Sesshoumaru, "Despite my intentions, I am innocent of any of this!"

"You fled your palace before Lord Sesshoumaru arrived and hid yourself away before we found you yesterday," one of Sesshoumaru's allies spoke, "that action alone has spoken for everything."

"He would have killed me!"

"Not if you had been a reasonable man," another ally said.

"He destroyed my palace! He slaughtered my people! He killed everyone, my soldiers and my family all in one day! " the old man shrieked, as if he had remembered something horrific.

I was surprised and shocked to hear that. Sesshoumaru had destroyed and killed so many, all in one day? I had defeated whole armies in one night, but in one day, he had basically destroyed a whole country?

"Those who begged and swore fealty to our lord lived," one of the generals said, "but your family met a swift and quick end."

"Which will be of no matter, for you will see them soon enough..." Sesshoumaru told him as he pulled out his sword, Tokujin. The general who punched the youkai earlier moved behind him and brought his resisting body down to his knees, baring the skin behind his neck to Sesshoumaru's gaze, "But that will have to be in the after world... That is, if your soul can make it there."

Lord Youjiro's eyes widened, glazed with fear.

"Please... let me live," he begged in a meek voice, but Sesshoumaru took no heed.

Sesshoumaru turned to look at everyone in the room before laying his eyes on me, "Watch. You shall remember this day as the day that the Lands to the North ceased to exist and its lord, who will be punished by death for trying to defy me, dead by my hands."

Although he had spoken it aloud to everyone, I had a strange feeling that it was directed at me. Had he destroyed an entire country for me? Did he kill Lady Kuroki to avenge me for all the pains she gave me? Now, he was going to kill the landless old youkai lord for me? Was he doing all of this... for me?

The old youkai was a pathetic sight, but to see Sesshoumaru hold the Tokujin high above his head made me turn away. Yet, even as I turned away, Hiten took ahold of my head and held me steady so that I would see him pass judgment.

Hiten leaned in and whispered in my ear, "You must watch and become stronger from this. You cannot look away or the others will see this as a sign of disrespect and disloyalty, and Sesshoumaru will take it as a sign of unfaithfulness."

I gritted my teeth and clenched my fists in rebellion, but I watched on. Although I was angry and hated Kuroki's attempt at killing me, this was...

A quick glint of Tokujin in the sunlight caught me off guard and in the next moment, blood flew into the air. In that split second of the sword cutting through his neck, a tear fell from my eyes. In the next instant, the lifeless body of Lord Youjiro fell to the floor as his head rolled.

It was only after it stopped rolling that Sesshoumaru finally relaxed and wiped his sword with a clean cloth that one of his generals presented to him. His armor was now as stained with blood as his sword was. The youkai near him also had splattered blood on them, especially the one who had been holding the dead youkai lord's body. The wall behind him had blood all over and where the body laid on the floor was a puddle of blood forming. Hiten finally let go of me and I let out a breath that I hadn't been aware that I had been holding. He moved forward to the take the head of the beheaded lord. He sniffed it for a few seconds and silently went outside to the balcony. The other generals and lords followed suit, spilling out onto the balcony. Hiten threw his hand into the air, that was holding Lord Youjiro's head, and loud cheering erupted from the soldiers below that I hadn't realized were there. My eyes turned to Sesshoumaru, who was done cleaning his sword and put it away before looking at me.

"Lord Youjiro is no more! Long live Lord Sesshoumaru!" Hiten shouted.

There was a chorus of echoes filtering out into the air and followed by more cheering. Sesshoumaru walked over to the balcony, but stopped before he stepped outside. He turned to me and held out a hand. I hesitated, but my leg decided to act instead and moved forward. I found myself taking his hand and leaned my head down to kiss the palm of his blood stained hand. His other hand found its way to my cheek and stroked it as I flicked out a tongue to taste the dead youkai's blood, but tasted more of Seshoumaru's sweat instead, but I was glad of it. I knew that part of his reason for killing Lord Youjiro was for me and as a youkai custom, I had to show my appreciation. He said nothing, but I felt his eyes weighing heavily on me. I kneeled, his hand never leaving my cheek. One blood-stained finger had slipped inside my mouth and I sucked on it lightly before removing it and running my lips along his knuckles.

"Kagome..." he whispered.

I placed a kiss on the back of his hand and pulled myself away. His hand reached out for me, but I got out of his reach. Hiten began calling for Sesshoumaru.

"My lord," I bowed.

He gave me one last glance before turning to the balcony and walking out. The crowd grew louder. I walked over to the balcony, but stayed away from sight.

"My fellow youkai, Lord Youjiro of the Northern Lands is no more! He sought to dethrone me and take over the Western Lands, but we fought back and suceeded! I have delivered him from our youkai society because he does not hold the pride of a youkai as we all do! From today on, a new day will begin! A new chapter in history will be unveiled for us, for the youkai! Lord Youjiro was weak, but together, under my lead, we shall become stronger! We will wipe out those in our way! We will kill the ningens who want to stop us from taking back what should be ours! The time has come! History calls for a new world, a world of youkai! The war with ningens has come! We will stop at nothing to destroy their whole race! We will take back this world for us!"

The crowd became impossibly louder, chanting Sesshoumaru's name and, "Long live Lord Sesshoumaru!" It was deafening. I winced from the noise and left the room.

The guards bowed and shouted in unison, "Long live our Lord Sesshoumaru!"

I ignored them and continued walking. I remembered the scroll and took it out to read. Reading it, I was surprised and a little angry. He wanted me to continue the task he had given to me from before. Why? Shaking my head, I rolled it up and shoved it back in its previous place. The sounds of the youkai cheering faded as I moved farther and farther away. I was beyond confused now. Our relationship before had been for reasons that Sesshoumaru desired and I did it for him, in bed and on the battlefield, all for my own vengeance. To him, I should have only been a pawn, a toy, a ningen, but that was before and this was now. He shouldn't have regarded me as anything, but the one sentence on the scroll bothered me to a great extent.

Before, I had been a mere girl who had been turned into a fighter and lover for a youkai lord. Now, I wasn't so sure, especially when his last lines on there made me feel weak of heart and were so...intimate.

_For You Who Is Mine Will Kill Me.._


	22. Chapter 22

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Twenty Two**_

_by PhoenixBlade_

_

* * *

_

When I left Sesshoumaru, Shaffir was my destination that I had in mind. It was the place where my mission was to take place after all, though Sesshoumaru did not know it. I was to find the great general of the ningen army who was rallying up many other ningens and were defeating the youkai in the blink of an eye. I was supposed to go there... but after I reached ningen territory, I was interrupted by the sounds of a fight. I was going to ignore it, but I heard a familiar voice cursing and a flash of red underneath armor with long white hair. I could not ignore it.

"Kuso!"

I ran towards the fighting and indeed, it was whom I had thought it to be. Inuyasha was there with his soldiers, but Sango and Miroku were nowhere to be seen. It looked like he was having a hard time fighting the large powerhouse who had strange armor embedded in him. It took me a few seconds to recognize who it was. Ginkotsu!

Inuyasha was swinging his sword around and didn't seem to be making a dent on his opponent at all. His soldiers weren't faring well either. Perhaps it was time for my entrance into this fight, but by doing so, one or the other had to die. It was now or never.

I notched an arrow and pulled back on the bow hard. I focused my miko powers into the arrow and stared straight at my target. To fulfill my goal, I needed Inuyasha alive and so the best course of action should have been to shoot Ginkotsu down... but instead, my arms had a mind of their own and aimed straight for Inuyasha.

Was it some sort of perverse loyalty to Sesshoumaru that my body had decided that Inuyasha should die? If Inuyasha was put out of his own misery, then Sesshoumaru would have no trouble taking over the land and the ningens would either be enslaved or killed and I wouldn't have cared... but it took me a split second later to pull my aim away from Inuyasha and my fingers let go of the arrow.

I watched it pierce through the air. The miko energy around the arrow suddenly exploded and the miko energy burned strong and engulfed it in a great blue fire. I half-heartedly wished that the arrow missed just as I wished that it didn't.

"ARGH!"

Yet, it hit and went all the way through into Ginkotsu's body. I hadn't meant for the arrow to go to him, but the arrow seemed to have made the decision on its own, giving Inuyasha the opening that he needed to deliver the finishing blow. I watched as Ginkotsu screamed in pain before he fell to the ground, thereby silencing his cries. Had I been in the right state of mind, perhaps I would have ran to his side to offer him a few last words of comfort as I had done to Kyoukotsu before his inevitable death, but Ginkotsu's death seemed so pitiful that I could not bring myself to go.

After Inuyasha caught his breath, he turned to look at me, his savior, and smiled brightly, "Kagome!"

All his soldiers turned to look at me and knew immediately who I was. My hands fell, as did my bow. I didn't realize that I hadn't moved at all since I had let go of the arrow. It was only when Inuyasha ran to me and stood in front of me, breathless, that I remembered myself and bowed in courtesy to him.

"You, you saved me and my men Kagome-dono!" he exclaimed happily, but still breathless, "Thank you!"

I could not bring a smile to my face and remained bowing.

"It was nothing, my lord," I said to him.

"Raise your head, Kagome-dono. I wish to thank you sincerely, face-to-face," he told me.

Yet, I could not find the willpower to raise my head.

"I cannot."

He was confused, "Why not? I haven't seen your face in a long time and I'd like to see it."

I opened my mouth to speak, but instead of words, out came a small choked cry. Inuyasha was suddenly taken back as I fell to the ground and hid my face from him. I hadn't expected this to happen, but I was crying.

* * *

"That miko, to cry for a youkai..."

"Does she love youkai? They're nothing but filth"

"But she saved our lives!"

"She also tended to our wounded and sent the spirits of our passed comrades on to the afterlife."

"Even so, she cried for that beast that killed them!"

"She is a miko who lives for all living things. Is it not normal for her to cry for one who passes on whether they are ningen or not?"

"If she cries for youkai, she must be of pure heart and soul, a good miko."

"Aye, she must be."

"I agree. Only someone like her can cry for something so abominable and evil like that creature..."

I listened to every whispered word from the soldiers from inside the tent that Inuyasha had offered me. After my breakdown earlier, I tended to the duties of a miko in sending the dead and taking care of the wounded, but I had to be quick. Night came by the time I was done and we quickly fled the battle site with hope that the wandering youkai would find the dead bodies of the soldiers and Ginkotsu more appetizing than the ones who still lived. I put up a barrier around us and used some herbs that Sesshoumaru had taught me long ago to mask our trail so that the youkai would not come sniffing after us. We moved as quickly as we could. When day broke, we took a break by a stream to get some water and to wash the wounded. Before long, Inuyasha ordered me to rest in his tent before I collapsed from exhaustion. I complied.

"Don't speak like that of her!" I heard Inuyasha scold his soldiers, "She's a great miko! Be grateful that she was in the area to help us defeat that monster and heal the wounded!"

I listened to their words for a little while longer before I fell asleep. I dreamt of Ginkotsu dying again, and each time he died, he asked me why I killed him and left his body to the youkai to feast on. I could not offer him any words or consultations as to why he had to die that way. He shouldn't have died so pathetically with so little attention from me as I had paid in full to Kyoukotsu. If his brothers had been there to see me shoot him and Inuyasha delivering the final strike, they probably would have killed me for not paying homage to his corpse that was probably ripped to shreds by the hungry lesser youkai.

I woke up later, cradled in Inuyasha's arms on the back of a horse. We were moving again and it was daylight.

"Inuyasha-sama," I spoke.

He looked down at me and smiled, "Kagome-dono! It's good that you're awake!"

I groaned as I tried to sit up more in his arms, "How long was I asleep?"

"A whole day. You were exhausted and I decided it was best if I didn't wake you. We made progress in getting nearer to the capital so you can rest until then," he told me.

I shook my head, "No, I'm quite alright."

After protesting quite a bit, Inuyasha finally let me walk, but only if I would let him walk with me. His soldiers were against him walking as well, but he insisted and they gave in. Somehow though, rumor spread quickly that Inuyasha was infatuated with me and the soldiers persisted in teasing him.

For the next some days that we were traveling, despite the horrific battle with Ginkotsu, the soldiers were in a good mood as they teased Inuyasha and joked with him. The wounded were getting stronger everyday, but were still stuck to being carried. When we finally reached Shaffir, the mood became livelier and the townspeople gave the soldiers a warm welcome back. I later found myself the center of attention as Inuyasha proclaimed me the savior and the king threw a party that night in honor of Inuyasha's victory and in remembrance of those who passed away to rid the land of the terrible metal man-beast, Ginkotsu.

That night, I met Sango and Miroku again. They had just returned from exterminating an invasion of youkai to the south.

"It would seem that the youkai are more on the move lately since the Lord of the Western Lands has defeated the Lord of the Northern Lands," Sango told me.

Miroku's face looked solemn, "It feels as if... a war is coming."

I said nothing because I knew there was a war coming. It would only be a matter of time before Inuyasha and the rest got word of it, but for now, they would celebrate and remember.

* * *

I woke up to a presence in my room which Inuyasha had lent me. It wasn't a very welcoming presence but I knew who it was. My hand shot out towards my sword belt as the person struck.

CLANK!

Sparks flew and gave me a glimpse of who my assailant was when our swords connected. He pressed his sword down against me, using all his weight as leverage and it took all my might to make sure he didn't win this battle, but seeing that he was giving his all into pushing down, I maneuvered my sword to slide around his. It made him lose his balance and he fell forward unexpectedly onto my bed. Climbing quickly on his back, I grabbed his arms and pinned them down with my knees. With a fistful of his hair, I jerked his head back roughly so that he could see my face.

"Now what brings you here to my bed at night... Renkotsu?"

He stopped thrashing wildly underneath me and I watched his angry face through eyes that were now adjusted to the dark. He was panting through clenched teeth and growling at me."You bitch! You killed Ginkotsu!" he spat at me through clenched teeth.

"If you get any louder, Inuyasha might hear and send his soldiers to check up on me and you'll have to spend the night in the dungeon," I told him.

He began thrashing wildly about again and it took all my willpower not to slash his neck to shut him up, but then again, he was one of the Shichinintai under Bankotsu. Killing him would only make matters worse and I'd lose a very valuable asset to my plans.

I tightened my grip on his hair and he growled in pain and anger. My eyes narrowed and my lips became hard and thin.

"Watch yourself, Renkotsu! You have sworn your loyalty to me and if not me, Naraku, but Naraku has given your brothers and yourself to me to use however I wish! Do not go back on his word or there will be hell to pay!" I hissed at him.

It was stupid of me to bring up Naraku because I detested that man, but of anyone in this world, perhaps Naraku was the only one whom he'd give heed to because he feared the man more than me.

"Kagome-sama!"

I turned my head to see Bankotsu and Jakotsu rush over to my bed. I got off Renkotsu, but the both of them had to hold him back from killing me.

"Let go of me! Let go, I say! That bitch killed Ginkotsu!" he snarled.

Jakotsu tried pleading with him, "Get ahold of yourself! Renkotsu!"

He was acting like a child throwing a temper tantrum. It was annoying. I sighed in frustration as the two tried harder to hold him still. I went over and punched Renkotsu hard in the stomach. Renkotsu immediately went limp and unconscious.

"Put him on the bed," I told them as I lit the candles in the room to give me light.

After they laid him down on the bed, the two fell to one knee and bowed their heads low.

"Our apologies Kagome-sama. We never knew that Renkotsu would throw out his anger at you for Ginkotsu's death," Bankotsu spoke first.

"For that, we will take on any punishment for his transgressions and our failure to keep him from approaching you," Jakotsu added.

I watched their still-frames on the floor. They were ready to accept any form of punishment, even death, but I could not let them die.

I sighed and sat down on a chair nearby, "Renkotsu was but a minor problem. I am unharmed and neither is he."

They remained silent and I sighed again. I had to ask.

"Were there any remains left of Ginkotsu?" I asked them.

Jakotsu's head fell even further down. I was afraid that he might cry. As much as I hated to cry, watching a man do it, even one who seemed to enjoy the beauty of men, was too much for me.

Bankotsu straightened up, but kept his head down, "No Kagome-sama. There was nothing but scraps of metal left. The lesser youkai were quite thorough."

"It was an unfit death for him," I suddenly said before I realized it.

The two of them looked up at me. Yes, Jakotsu had been crying.

I sighed and looked away, "It had been momentary, but before I knew it, I had shot the arrow at him. Although Inuyasha had been the one to deliver the finishing blow, it was I who killed him in the end. Hate me if you must, but if it is vengeance that stirs in those minds of yours, wait until my plan is finished. Then, I will give my life over to you to do as you see fit."

"That will not do, Kagome-sama!" Jakotsu sprang up suddenly in anger.

I turned my attention on him. Bankotsu was tugging on his pants trying to calm him down.

I blinked, "What will not do? Are you afraid that I would falter? I give you my word, you may kill me after all of this is over and-"

Jakotsu fell down to my knees and took my right hand in his. I was slightly surprised and confused as he lifted the back of my hand to his forehead.

"Kagome-sama, we said that we didn't mind if we died for you. In this world, there is noone who cares more for us than you do, not even Naraku!" he told me pleadingly and looked at me with teary eyes, "Kagome-sama, we will follow you to the ends of the world, even to our deaths. We swore and we, the Shichinintai, do not go back on our words!"

Bankotsu came over and took my other hand, holding it to his forehead. I felt the rough cross scar on his forehead brush against the back of my hand.

"Kagome-sama, we live for you! Whether Naraku commands us to or not, we will never defy your words!" he told me.

They were baring their hearts and souls to me, these men. They were murderous sinners and had killed many ningens and youkai alike, and yet, they were entrusting their lives to me, a mere slip of a woman who was a ningen and the lover of a taiyoukai. Was I such a powerful woman to hold this power over the greatest of men?

They left soon after with a still unconscious Renkotsu in tow because I didn't want to see their faces anymore. What love did I give them to make them so loyal to me? I did not deserve their trust.

I let the candles burn themselves out, but I could not sleep. It was finally when the sun began peeking over the horizon that I finally succumbed to sleep.

"Kagome-chan!"

The arrow suddenly went flying, missing the target and instead, hitting the tree behind it. I saw Sango walking from the Inuyasha's castle towards me.

I placed a smile on my face and waved to her, "Sango-san, hello."

"How many times do I have to tell you!" she yelled as she came up to me, "that you need to leave the -san out? We're good friends already and I hate having people give me respect when they say my name."

I giggled and nodded, "Very well then Sango-chan."

She smiled back at me, "Good."

I returned my attention to the target and pulled out another arrow from behind me and notched it.

"By the way," Sango spoke up, "You seem out of it lately."

I pulled the arrow back , "Oh? How so?"

"I don't know. Your attention seems to wander a lot recently, as if there is something heavy weighing on your mind."

I kept pulling the arrow back more, trying to focus on the target, "If I did, I'd collapse from the weight already."

"Or maybe you're just putting up a strong front?" she suggested.

"Maybe," I replied and finally let go when the string began to pierce deeper into my skin.

Thunk!

I looked at the target. Still empty and clean of arrows. The tree behind it though, was littered with arrows.

"I'm pretty sure that tree'll have a lot to tell in the near future," she told me.

I looked at my hand. The strong had cut into my skin and aside from the blisters, my fingers were raw and still bleeding. I looked up at the tree that had been showered with arrows, my arrows that had missed the target.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it would..."

"Kagome!" Sango screamed in my ear and I winced as she grabbed my hand, "You're bleeding!"

"I know."

She looked at me in horror, "Why in the world would you keep shooting arrows if your hand starts to bleed! You could lose the use of this hand!"

"Perhaps it's retribution..." I mumbled too low for her to hear.

"What?" she asked as she began dabbing at the blood with a handkerchief that she had.

I just shook my head and let her drag me to the infirmary. She put some salve on my hand and wrapped it up in bandages.

"You are not to handle a bow until your hand heals! You're a miko for god's sake! How could you keep going when your hand's in pain!" she scolded me.

I just shrugged my shoulders.

"Kagome," she finally sighed in defeat when she realized that I wasn't being very responsive, "you must understand that there are people who care about you. Even though it's just a hand, it's a hand that's a part of you and it's you whom we are all worried about. When you bleed, we all bleed. When you are burdened by something, we are all burdened by it. Inuyasha, Miroku and I, we'd all like to help you, but you must let us!"

I didn't say anything.

"Kagome, you're our good friend. We all worry about you. Please open up and talk to us," she begged me.

I was silent for a second and when I opened my mouth, a stuttering sigh came out that teetered on the border of pain and sadness. A million things ran through my head as Sango watched on. No, I could not do this. These people were making me weak. I could not afford to be weak. Maybe if I was with youkai, I'd be stronger, but ningens... gods! They were making me incredibly weak! I could not afford to slip up! I lived for revenge and used everyone around me. I couldn't have friends! I couldn't have loyal men following my every whim! I hated, and was equally hated! I can't let anyone or anything phase me, I can't!...

"Kagome?" Sango spoke up.

All the things running around in my mind came to such an abrupt halt on one last thought that it literally threw my head into my hands, and before I could stop it, I cried.

_I'm sorry, Ginkotsu..._


	23. Chapter 23

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Twenty Three**_

_by PhoenixBlade_

_

* * *

_

Plunk!

Someone had thrown a rock into the fishing pond throwing my attention to the thrower from my now healed hand. I was met with green eyes and a childish smile.

"Finally! I've been calling your name twenty times, but you weren't listening!" says the young kitsune.

I smile at him, "My apologies Shippou, I was lost in thought."

Inuyasha had been invited by Lord Kab to his home in thanks for saving his castle and people. The rebuilding of the castle and town had gone much faster thanks to Inuyasha's men whom were sent to help out and the neighboring lords who were friends. In thanks to us, he was going to throw a party tonight and Inuyasha had been invited as well as the rest of us. Once setting foot in the castle, Shippou, the kitsune kit who had been taken under Lord Kab's wing and had come running to us for aid when they had been attacked, immediately grabbed my hand and taken me here. The kit has taken a liking to me though I had done nothing more than speak a few words to him while Lord Kab and his people had been with Inuyasha.

There was a chuckle and we turned to see Miroku on a rock not too far away. He was fishing as well.

"Kagome-dono has the attention span of a dozing bear, Shippou, do not get too bothered with her," he smiled.

Sango, who was behind him, whacked him behind the head, "Don't say things like that about our friend!"

"Ah! Dear Sango! I would never say such words to a beautiful lady like yourself! Why, I wouldn't say anything at all for my lips would be replaced with my hands to wander your glorious thighs-" he was cut off by a harder whack to the head.

Shippou giggled and a slight smile touched my face. The two were hilarious. If not for Sango's furious refusal to Miroku's wishful request to bear his children, I would say that the two were in love… perhaps they were. I smiled at the thought of it.

"…Why are you smiling Kagome-dono?" Miroku teased me, "Or would it be because of a certain male whom you may be thinking of?"

I shook my head furiously to detract his line of thinking, "N-no! It's not that! I was thinking of-"

"Oh come now Kagome! I've seen how close you were are at night and-"

WHACK!

Sango smacked him harder this time, sending him reeling into the water after his fishing pole.

PLUNK!

As Miroku's head came above the water and turned love-lorn eyes toward Sango, Shippou and I laughed at the hilarity of the situation between the two. Shippou threw a couple of remarks at the two as my laughs died down. I turned to look at my fishing pole again. Pulling it up, I watched as the straight hook glinted off the setting sun. I smiled. It was really peaceful here. Really peaceful…

* * *

The party was much larger than I thought. The town square was filled to the brim with loud music, food and all the townspeople. It was no wonder why the people loved Lord Kab. He never left his people out of the celebrations and aside from that, he loved celebrating with them. My eyes moved to the center where dozens of people were dancing in a large circle. Surrounding them were music players and spectators. To the side were tables filled with men and women who were chatting, serving and eating food. I spotted Shippou near the outside of the circle dancing with the baker's youngest daughter. She seemed enamored by him.

"I believe her name is Rin."

Sango came up and sat with me, "Oh?"

She smiled, "They look cute don't they?"

I smiled as Shippou jumped up and down happily when an older boy joined the two. He looked familiar.

"That's my brother, Kohaku," Sango told me as if she knew what I was thinking.

"He looks like you."

Sango rolled her eyes, "That's what everyone tells me, but I think he looks more like my father."

"He looks kind, like you."

Sango smiled at me, "Thanks."

I saw a masculine hand move towards Sango and I made no move to stop it. The next thing I knew, Miroku had been sent flying into the middle of the dance and Sango went flying in angrily after him with a large piece of wood. I giggled and went over to the foods area to get a drink. There, I met Inuyasha who was talking to Lord Kab.

"Ah! The lady of the hour! Come join us, Kagome-dono!" Lord Kab smiled at me.

I bowed and went to stand beside Inuyasha.

"Lord Kab. Are your injuries healed now?" I asked politely,

He smiled and twirled his arm a little, "Agh. I'm better now, but I'm still stiff in some places."

"You'll be better in no time, sir," Inuyasha assured him.

He gave a bellowing laugh, "I suppose so! Oh, by the way…"

He turned to look at me and then back to Inuyasha, then nodded. I was… confused.

"Is there something on my face, my lord?" I asked.

He shook his head and laughed. He was a rather joyous man.

"Goodness no! You've a very pretty face, Kagome… but one that seems familiar to me."

I rose an eyebrow, "How so?"

"I don't know. I can't put a finger on it. Although, you do look quite, if not almost like, my niece."

It piqued my curiosity, "Your niece?"

He nodded, "Yes. You two look quite similar, or rather, almost exactly alike. If not for your different eye colors, I would say that you were twins!... Your eyes though... they look really familiar..."

Inuyasha fidgeted a little beside me.

Lord Kab made a noise suddenly as if he thought of something.

"Kagome-dono, do you know of the four heroes of the great war that took place years ago? It happened before you were born I believe, but would you happen to know of it?" he asked me as if he was trying to size me up for something big.

I nodded, but felt myself shivering a little despite the weather being warm. What was he trying to say?

"As you know, one of the heroes was a youkai, Inuyasha's father. There were two other men and one healer who was a woman."

One of my hands at my side began digging into my hip. There was something about this that seemed oddly familiar, but not welcoming.

"Your eyes remind me of one of the two men. He was a good man, but quiet. I think he was from village far in the countryside. I can't remember where, but I know it is a small town. Anyway, that woman, the healer, was my sister. After the war, she married the other man and had my niece. She died soon after."

He sighed and shook his head, "It's a pity though, my sister. Her husband loved her unconditionally, but I think Megumi was still in love with the other man."

I felt my blood run cold the moment that name spilled from his lips.

That name! Megumi! It was her! HER!... but was the other man…?

Gulping and trying to hold back the panic in my voice, I asked, "E-excuse me sir, but what w-was the other man's… name?"

The two seemed to notice my nervousness.

Inuyasha held my arm gently, "Kagome-dono, are you alright?"

I gulped and nodded as normally as I could with a smile that blew all their worries away.

"I'm fine," turning back to Lord Kab, "what was his name, my lord?"

"Oh, well, Megumi was originally with him before she married Tatsuo, but Tatsuo and she were engaged before the two even met. His name was… Shinichi. Yes, Shinichi was his name," he nodded to confirm, "he was around for a while up until after Tatsuo and Megumi married, then he disappeared the day after the two were wed."

My heart stopped beating for moment and the whole world came crashing down on me.

"Oh! Here she is! My niece!" Lord Kab said and a young woman came to stand between Lord Kab and Inuyasha. I had to do a double-take when I recognized who she was.

"Kagome-dono, this is Kikyou, my niece," her uncle introduced us.

She looked at me and I tried my best not to cringe in disgust or collapse at the realization of it all. Yes, it was her. She had the same likeness as me, but also, the same as him... The eyes, the nose, the facial structure and that damn eye color! Exactly like him!

"We've met," was all she replied in her monotonous voice.

"Oh, well, just in case you don't know Kagome, she's Inuyasha's fiancée. Isn't that great? Two of the great heroes' children are marrying!" Lord Kab laughed.

I turned to Inuyasha and he seemed a little ashamed of the situation and looked away, but it was enough for me. I couldn't stand to be here anymore. She was… she was…!

"I'm afraid that I must be leaving now, sir, Inuyasha-san. Nice to meet you again, Kikyou-san," I quickly said and rushed out of there before they could stop me.

I walked and walked until the noise and music died down and my legs became tired. I looked up and found myself in a dark alleyway. The sounds of the party were faint and distant. I had walked far, but…

Megumi… Megumi! She was _Megumi's _daughter! Kikyou!

I felt infuriated. All the peace and calmness that had become a part of me since I had joined Inuyasha was quickly dissipating and being overcome with anger and hatred. I was so overwhelmed with this sudden anger that I had to lean on the wall to support me, or else I would fall from the weight of it.

She… They said that she looked like me… No, she… That must be because she's-she must be! My father… Shinichi, he-that day when he left us… That bastard! I understand now! She's-she's their daughter! Kikyou! She's-

"…My half-sister!" I hissed in anger remembering everything as it came to me in a mad and heated rush; the pain, the anger, everything.

It was then that I realized that my revenge had yet to be fulfilled… Sesshoumaru would pay for his sins… and HE, my _father_, would die by MY hands!


	24. Chapter 24

Welcome to the long-awaited chapter of Snow Pearl! Yes, I'm finally back in the game of writing this series. Its been a crazy long time since I've written for this series, but let's hope my motivation doesn't leave me anytime soon! Thank you all for your support and for your reviews! I hope you will continue to support lil ol me and continue reading this story (and my others as well).

As a sidenote, not that it really matters, but I've edited all previous chapters. They're not much of a change really, just a few grammatical changes, moving the poems around to their correct chapters and whatnot. So if you wanna go back and read, go ahead, but don't expect too much of a difference.

EDIT: Btw, someone suggested that I do a recap cause I've been away for so long and I'm pretty sure some of you don't want to go back to the beginning to read everything again, so I'm doing a somewhat quick recap at the bottom. I don't want to give it its own chapter cause I'm picky. If you don't really remember the story, I suggest you go read it first before continuing this chapter. Thanks for the suggestion Ojou!

Anyway, enjoy reading!

* * *

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Twenty Four**_

_By: PhoenixBlade_

* * *

The woman known as Megumi was not only a hero of the Great War that had taken place many years ago to reclaim the land from an evil youkai, but she was also my father's lover. I knew little of their relationship through letters which they had written one another. It was only later, that by piecing together father's sudden departure from my mother and I, as well as after _that woman_ had arrived in our little village and left, that I knew for sure that they had been lovers. Father had gone chasing off after the woman.

Yet thinking back, I remembered following my father to her room at the inn on the day she left and overhearing a conversation that they had together. Though much of what they spoke went in one ear and out the other, remembering her words to my father that that day made me understand now.

* * *

_Thinking back to the past…_

* * *

Pressing my ear up to the door, I listened in quietly.

"Shinichi… Several weeks after that night before my wedding when you and I…" she began, but stopped.

"What? Don't tell me that you regret it? That night we shared was like heaven to me! To us! Our mind and bodies became one that night and it was far better than anything I've ever felt my whole life. Don't tell me that it was all a mistake!" my father almost screamed on the border of desperation.

"No! I don't regret it at all! If I could, I wish we could return to that night and relive it all over again… but… that is not what I need to tell you right now… that night…" she drifted off and sniffled.

Father gave her a few words of comfort before she began to speak again.

"I became ill several weeks after, throwing up constantly every morning. I visited a doctor out of town and found that I was with child. I had been pregnant for several weeks… My husband… drunk on alcohol the night of our wedding, believed that the child was his… but I had not lain with him until after I found out," she sniffed.

Father was quiet for a while before he spoke again, something akin to happiness gracing the edges of his voice, "T-then does that mean…?"

I did not hear what was said next, but what I heard were tears of elation from the two.

* * *

_Back to the present…_

* * *

My young mind had not known what had just been said then… thinking back on it, I remembered it clearly and knew now. The _bitch_ had given birth to my _bastard_ of a father's illegitimate daughter, and that daughter was Kikyou. Perhaps my father had chased after her to win back her hand and his daughter, who was the result of his one night affair with the woman he loved. In turn, he abandoned the woman who had waited for him to return from war and loved him unconditionally, and the stupid girl who wondered why he had left them.

Had my father lain with my mother with _this woman_ named _Megumi_ in mind? Had he imagined that it was _her_ lying next to him when he went to bed and woke the next day? Had he pretended that it was not my mother but _her_ who waited faithfully for him each day he came home from working the fields? Had he not had any love for the family he had created with us at all?

I was repulsed, disgusted at the mere thought of my father lusting after that woman.

Fools they were… fools in their pretend world they called _love_…

* * *

Spies arrived a few days later to inform the king that a war was en route. Youkai from every which part of the land had begun moving to join forces with Sesshoumaru, many in hopes of victory under the great youkai lord as well as out of fear. The king then sent a message throughout his kingdom as well as to other kingdoms, allied and strangers, to join in their stand against the youkai in what would perhaps be the ultimate stand since the great Ningen/Youkai War that had been recorded in history thousands of years ago.

"I knew something was afoot," Miroku said, but shook his head, "I was hoping that I was wrong."

We all stood in the king's War Room, preparing and strategizing what to do next. Along with Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, Lord Kab, some other lords and generals of the king and the king himself, other representatives of other ningen kingdoms were present. After the king had sent an alliance of sorts to each kingdom, many of them answered the call, as this war entailed the fate of all ningens. Youkai were out to eradicate or enslave the entire ningen race.

"Most of the youkai that have been attacking our villages are in the western region," informed the king's general, "as that is where the youkai lord is situated, it'll only be a short amount of time before his army grows with the youkai moving towards him and attacks us."

Lord Kab stepped in, "How much time do we have?"

The general sighed and shook his head, "I don't know. Youkai are unlike us. They are amazingly strong and fast creatures, able to bring down entire armies in one night with just a few of them."

"Then we should immediately mount our defenses and send all civilians to safety!" said one of the lords.

"There have been large flows of surviving and escaping civilians from the West since a few days ago. We've been taking them into the capital and taking any volunteers as soldiers, but that's not enough. The problem that we will soon be dealing with is food," said the general.

Another lord spoke in, "The harvest has been abundant this year, would that not be enough to cover for them?"

The general hesitated, "…We don't know how long this war will last."

There was a heavy silence in the room.

"What of the youkai's natural enemies? Our mikos and priests? Has the Holy Order given their word yet?" asked the king.

"I've received no word from them, but a large number of mikos and priests have come and given us their aid. Still, they are no match for the thousands of youkai that we may have to deal with…"

The silence returned. It was very possible that this was already a lost war for all ningens.

* * *

I sat in my room, waiting. Soon, I felt the presence of Jakotsu and Bankotsu. They materialized in front of me, on their knees and bowing.

"You called for us, my lady?" Bankotsu asked.

I got up and walked to the window in the room. It looked out to the soldiers training. Inuyasha was shouting orders and a nervous Miroku was trying to calm an angry and advancing Sango. I looked back to them.

"Yes. I need you to send Suikotsu on a mission for me," I told them.

Jakotsu and Bankotsu looked up and at each other, a slight hesitation apparent in their eyes.

"What is it?"

"Suikotsu has… gone missing. Naraku-sama has sent him on a mission and though he has assured us that Suikotsu has not abandoned us or died, he has yet to return," Bankotsu answered.

I raised an eyebrow, "Naraku? Do you know what the mission was about?"

They both shook their heads. I frowned. Indeed, I would have to file this away for later, but for now…

"Very well then, we'll deal with him later. Right now, I need you to find someone for me."

"Find someone?" Bankotsu asked, "surely you could use Inuyasha's or the Youkai Lord's services to find such a man."

I grimaced, "If I were looking for a common person, I would do it myself. However, this man has been difficult to find for many years. I gave up my search for him several years ago, but circumstances as of late require me to find him immediately."

Jakotsu leaned forward, "Has this man brought you harm? If so, I will find him and kill him where he stands!"

"This man has done more harm to me than you could ever know…" I scowled.

I twitched when I saw my look-a-like approach Inuyasha. Seeing them together sent a spark of anger through me. He turned to look away from her when she started talking. His gaze instead turned up to look at me, but after a few seconds, he turned his head away as if ashamed.

Both were quiet, but Bankotsu spoke up, "What would you have us do if we found him, dead?"

I narrowed in on her. She spoke with Inuyasha with that constant bland look on her face. How I wished I could rip her face apart with my hands.

"If he is dead, then there is another matter in which I can take my anger out on."

"Forgive me, but I thought you above grudges, my lady," Jakotsu said cautiously.

"I am still ningen, and my hatred runs a hundredfold when I think of him," I hissed, anger lacing my every word.

Just thinking of him made me want to kill someone.

"…And if he is alive?" Bankotsu asked.

I looked up to see the sun setting in the distance.

"Bring him to me."

* * *

"Kagome!"

I turned to see Shippo's small body flying into my arms. He looked at me with tears in his eyes.

"Don't go!" he sobbed.

He held on tightly to me as if he wanted to hold me to the spot. As I was volunteering my help, I was being sent on a mission to aid one of the troops protect the Western region of the kingdom so as to help other civilians escape the oncoming wrath of the youkai. Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango had voiced complaint to join me. However, their duties were placed elsewhere. They bade me farewell before they had to leave as well.

"Shippo!"

Lord Kab came running up to us.

"Milord!" I bowed.

"I'm sorry, Kagome-dono. It would seem that Shippo has grown quite attached to you since our initial encounter," he chuckled hesitantly.

I shook my head and hugged the hiccupping kitsune closer, "He is like a little brother to me…"

Lord Kab's eyes softened, "I heard Sango tell me that you had a little brother."

I nodded, "I did, my mother adopted him and we loved him dearly… but he died a long time ago by youkai…"

"Oh…I am sorry," he said, trying to comfort me.

I shook my head, "Don't worry about it, my lord. It was a long time ago. I've grown accustomed to seeing people close to me fall."

"Kagome! Don't leave me!" Shippo intervened, "Don't die! My mom and dad were killed on a raid by the evil Thunder Brothers! Please don't get killed by mean youkai like them!"

Thunder Brothers? Hiten and Manten?

Looking down kindly on Shippo, I reassured him that I would return to him.

There was a call from the troop leader that they were leaving. Returning the boy back to his patron, I turned and left with them.

* * *

Halfway to our destination, the troop met with a wave of escaping civilians, big enough to be its own troop. Though the troop leader intercepted them and offered to give them a few of the soldiers as escort to the capital. I stopped my horse from continuing any further as the rest of the troop moved forward to meet the civilians. I pulled out my sword just as a wave of blood flew into the air, followed by yells and swords being drawn.

I got off my horse and watched as the "civilians" tore through the troop like paper in a dance of fury and blood. The second-in-command (somehow still alive) and a few remaining soldiers ran towards me, telling me to run. The soldiers were shot down and the second-in-command was slashed a dozen times just as he was within a few feet of me. His blood splattered all over my body as he fell into my arms.

"M-miko-sama… R-run," he gurgled.

A splash of blood hit my face as the second-in-command's head was cut from his body. I pushed his body off me to look up at his assailant. I was met with the bandaged face of a man whom I recognized immediately, though now he looked much like a corpse covered in dirty bandages, I still knew it was him. His mouth was spread into a lipless and almost skinless smile. Behind him were blood-covered men, chuckling and licking their bloodstained swords.

"You are… Onigumo?"

His disgusting smile grew even wider. I almost cringed as I imagined maggots and flies wiggling out from inside those dirty, blood-soaked bandages of his.

"You do me much honor in remembering my name, Lady Kikyou-look-a-like," he grinned mischievously.

It was like watching a rotting corpse talk. The man should have been killed instead of being allowed to live, by Naraku no less. Yet I was slightly surprised to see the same dark figure cloaked in black, from before, behind Onigumo, but this time, he had a few friends fading in and out among the men. I had a feeling that Onigumo's men did not even know that they were there.

"That _thing_, is with you." I said to him.

Onigumo turned slightly to look at it and then back at me. The smile got disgustingly wider. I felt like throwing up.

"Ah him? Ha ha! A friend of Naraku's no doubt! He's here to keep an eye on me," Onigumo replied with a haughty laugh.

Looking at the dark figure made my insides feel heavy and my body feel slightly sluggish. Breathing felt harder to do as its aura was suffocating.

"Why do you follow this man?" I asked, feeling the words of the old youkai tongue wrap around in my mouth.

It breathed, long and ghastly, before it spoke in the same old tongue, "Because he follows Naraku-sama…"

"Why do you follow Naraku?"

Its hollow and raspy voice replied, "Because we follow death… and he is Death…"

I was about to ask it more before Onigumi stopped us, "What're you talking about! I don't understand that breathy, old talk crap you use!"

"…My apologies…" it hissed slowly in ningen tongue.

Onigumo looked at me intensely for a bit before that lipless smirk of his returned, "You really do look like my beloved Kikyou… I think you'll do for now."

His men laughed menacingly as if they knew what his words meant. I gripped tightly onto my sword. What the hell was he talking about?

"…Naraku does not want her dead…" the thing next to him breathed.

"Oh, I don't intend on killing her…" he smirked evilly and turned to me, "let's you and me have some fun, little miko."

His men suddenly rushed forward.

* * *

Thanks for reading everyone and remember to leave a review!

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* * *

This is a recap for all of you who can't remember the story very well. Heck, even I had to go back and read it all! Hope this works for you guys!

**RECAP:**

My name is Kagome, but I am also known and feared as the deadly assassin, Lady Shikon. Youkai hate me for my miko powers and ningens fear me for felling whole armies in a night. When I was barely a woman, youkai came and attacked my village, killing everyone dear to me. The very same night, Sesshoumaru, youkai Lord of the West, raped me and took me under his wing to become his own personal assassin. Years of intense training, ridicule and humiliatingly sleepless nights entertaining Sesshoumaru in his bed brought me to his side as his own personal assassin. I swore to kill him.

It was a while ago that he had heard of a youkai general who sided with the ningens, gaining fame and their respect for his battle prowess, as well as worry and apprehension from the youkai. I was sent to eliminate him and though I had carried out my orders, I had grown to respect the youkai general in the short time that we had and fulfilled his wish to let his son, Inuyasha, live before I killed him. It was then that I realized that the tool needed for my plan to bring down and kill Sesshoumaru was Inuyasha. Inuyasha, who was unconscious at the time of his father's death, quickly gave me his trust. Shortly after, I came across the hanyou, Naraku, who quickly developed an obsession with me. In seeking to rid Sesshoumaru of the youkai named Yura, Naraku somehow learned of my mission and presented her skull and comb as gifts to me, as well as the Shichinintai, a dangerous mercenary group of seven men.

Sesshoumaru then sent me out on another task, though one that brought suspicion that something was afoot, investigating a hanyou general who was now becoming a problem for youkai. I came across Inuyasha, who turned out to be the rising hanyou general, as well as his friends Sango and Miroku, who I quickly befriended. Our reunion was short lived as I aided them in their attempt to defend and defeat a previous bandit foe of Inuyasha's, named Onigumo. However, Onigumo was no mere bandit as he had the help of otherworldly creatures, who were under Naraku, and escaped with them. I then called for Kyoukotsu of the Shichinintai to act as catalyst for the ningens to take up arms against the youkai. In doing so, brought about his death. As Inuyasha lay recuperating, I met his fiancée Kikyou, who bore a striking resemblance to me.

I returned to Sesshoumaru, only to be knocked out from entering his domain for reasons unknown. When I came to, I found myself in Naraku's clutches and learned from him of Sesshoumaru's marriage, of which he had been trying to keep me out of the castle and from knowing. I was a "guest" of Naraku's in his home for many dayss, gracing his bed, until I was finally returned to Sesshoumaru, who did not take the news too kindly that his possession had slept with another man. After a brutal punishment from him, I encountered his wife for whom he married to gain a political alliance with the Lord of the Northern Lands. Despite being married, Sesshoumaru still returned to my bed and became more affectionate with me. On one of his days away from the castle, his wife sought to kill me in his absence, but Sesshoumaru had known of this and used it to his advantage as an excuse to destroy the Lord of the Northern Lands. Thereafter, he declared war on the ningens and many youkai answered his call.

Sesshoumaru then sent me back on my mission to find the hanyou lord and to exterminate him. Before setting out, I ordered Ginkotsu to attack Inuyasha, to build more hate towards the youkai for the ningens as well as gaining further trust from Inuyasha as well as his men. On the way to the ningens, I encountered Inuyasha battling Ginkotsu and aided him, resulting in Ginkotsu's pathetic death. As the days passed, I found myself growing closer to the ningens. A party was then thrown in commemoration of men who had died and for Inuyasha's victory against Onigumo, but in doing so, I learned of Kikyou's true roots; she was my hated half-sister...


	25. Chapter 25

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Twenty Five**_

_By: PhoenixBlade_

* * *

_Flashback…_

* * *

The sun was beating down on me from high above. The air was humid and so hot that sweat was practically pouring off me. I was thirsty and resisted the urge to cough with every pant I took. I tightened my grip on my sword, but the hilt was soaked in sweat, making the handling of it uneasy.

Standing not too far from me was a pristine, heavenly figure, garbed in white sans his typical bone armor. His silver hair lightly swayed with every breath he took. He stood motionless, face neutral, but his eyes burned with a menacing playfulness. I scowled back at him through clenched teeth.

The man-no, the _youkai_, rose an eyebrow at me. The edge of his mouth curved slightly before returning to a straight line.

He had been training me non-stop ever since he had taken me in after burning down my home and killing all the villagers. During the day, I was pushed until my bones would break and during the night, he pushed into me until I screamed his name with a vengeance. It had barely been a year since it had happened, but everyday, I fought to become stronger to avenge my lost family and the villagers who had just started to accept me.

"Come!" Sesshoumaru commanded me.

"Tch."

Grasping onto the hilt like my life depended on it, I unleashed all my fury and all the strength that I could muster as I ran towards the bastard who took everything from me. _Everything!_

Swinging the sword over my head, I swung it down on Sesshoumaru with all my might and the anger flowing inside of me… only to have him sidestep it and push me down from behind. I fell to the ground roughly, opening and widening scars from today and the past few days. I bit my bottom lip from crying out in pain. My body hurt and was sore all over. I desperately wanted to close my eyes and never wake up, but if I did so, I'd never be able to avenge everyone. I wanted to cry, but no tears came.

"Your bitterness and anger flies everywhere, girl," Sesshoumaru spoke from above me.

I clutched tightly onto my sword and before I could swing it at him, his foot daintily stepped on my arm, applying pressure so that it would remain on the ground. Although his foot remained firm on my arm, it did not give me any pain, but I could feel the blood flow in my arm slow. Whether he let go of my arm or not, I would not be able to swing at him at a short distance as he would be able to jump away from harm's way. My other arm was too short to be able to reach his leg. His other foot set itself onto my head, pressing my right cheek into the ground none too gently. I tasted blood and dirt in my mouth.

"Anger is all that I have left, you monster!" I shouted at him, feeling my saliva, blood and dirt drool down my mouth.

He snorted, "If that is all that you have left, you must learn to rein it in."

I snarled at him. A spark of something flared inside of me.

I felt his weight press down on my head more.

"Channel your anger at those who have wronged you."

_I hate you…_

I thought first of the bastard who stood over me. He had wronged me in so many ways and I wanted to make sure that he would receive my anger tenfold. The spark suddenly became a burning ball of fire, rapidly growing larger and larger by the second.

He continued, "Know that they have made you like this, a raging inferno waiting to be unleashed. They are the ones at fault for why your life has been left in shambles. They are the sole reason why you fight, why you grow stronger. They are the cause of all your suffering and the deaths of those whom you love."

_I hate you!_

I felt the energies inside me run wild, urging-no, demanding to be released from the confines of my body, its skin-covered prison. I wanted to grab the youkai's leg, crush it and fold it backwards into his body, breaking all the bones within my grasp.

_I **HATE **YOU!_

"They… are the reason you exist!"

Suddenly, that… _man's_ face flashed in my mind and I could no longer hold in the power-no, I didn't want to hold it in! That bastard! He left us! Mother and me! If he had never run off, if he had loved mother like he was supposed to, if he had never gone off wandering into the world at war outside the village… If he had never promised my mother and given her any hope of marriage or a family…

I felt my heart constrict, as if someone had grabbed onto it and was squeezing me of life. Tears were threatening to spill from my eyes and a choke cry held between clenched teeth.

_Then I would have never been born to suffer so!_

I screamed a painful cry and released it all.

Sesshoumaru smirked in victory… And everything was engulfed in a destructive light...

* * *

_Present…_

* * *

I opened my eyes slowly, letting them adjust to the darkness. A clattering sound brought my attention to my hands, shackled above my head by chains. I had been captured, by Onigumo no less. I raised my head from my kneeling position to observe his cohorts nearby. Though the light was dim and the walls held no windows to the outside, I could see where they stood, laughing and peeking over at my seemingly weak self from where they sat at a table. _The fools_…

"Oh ho! Our princess has awoken!" came the voice of one of his bandits.

"Looks like we can have some fun after all!" another spoke up with a creepy grin.

However, one of the smaller men jumped in, "Onigumo says we can't touch her until he comes back!"

Pow!

The man was on the ground, nursing his now swelling jaw.

The man with the creepy grin sneered at him, "I'm in command when he's not here! I don't give a hoot if Onigumo's our so-called leader! If I say we can have some fun, then we'll have some fun!"

The man on the ground nodded and flashed a toothy grin at me.

_Disgusting…_

While the men argued with each other on who would get to… _taste_ me first, I noticed a wispy shadow trailing along in the dark, faded in and out between the men. A quarrel broke out among Onigumo's men as the shadow came before me. The air suddenly became colder

"Have you creatures fallen so low to become slaves that follow the likes of these stupid ningens?" I muttered to it in the old youkai tongue, unsure of the clarity in my voice.

There was a long pause before it breathed in, slow and sharp, and spoke in a raspy voice, "We are no slave to mortal men…"

I scoffed, "Yet you serve a mortal."

"We follow death," its hazy voice echoed in my ears, "we do not serve Naraku, but follow the corpses he leaves behind…"

"Like a vulture who follows an animal to its death… You swoop in for a meal after they die."

"…Now you understand," it exhaled..

"Hey! I think she's talkin to them shadow things!"

I looked up. Sneers and ugly frowns painted their faces.

"It would seem," I whispered to it, "that you are unwelcomed by them."

"What predator welcomes in a weakling… to take part in its kill?" it breathed and vanished.

Just as one of the men came to grab me, I quickly swung my arms around and wrapped the chain around his neck before he could jump back. There were shouts as I grabbed him and pushed myself up as he tried to breathe. The second-in-command jumped at me, but I pushed the choking man in front of me to get in his way. More shouts were heard just as I heard the man's neck break. I held on tight to the chain with my chained hands and lifted myself.

The second-in-command stared at his dead friend and glared at me, "You bitch! You killed-"

He was stopped short as I kicked him back into some barrels, and quickly used my other foot to find its way into the metal hoop at his belt with a dangling key. Landing on one foot, I kicked the key up into the air and caught it deftly in my hands.

"What the- get her!" the man shouted from between the fallen barrels.

The other thugs rushed in as I unlocked myself and jumped up to grab until the dangling chain from the ceiling. When they realized that they had caught air, I swung myself to a table in the dim light and landed on it.

"You fools! She's gonna escape!"

Sounds of swords unsheathing reached my ears. Raising my foot into the air, I brought it down with brute force, destroying the wooden table into pieces. Splintered wood flew into the air, causing the bandits to shield themselves from the woody debris. I took this chance to quickly grab some sharp, flying pieces and stabbed the ones nearest to me. Blood flew past my face as I ran past my victims on the way out to the darkened entrance.

"Don't let her get out of here!" came the voice of the "leader."

I dodged one who dove for me and grabbed his knife before he fell. Another thug swung his sword just as I ran towards him out to another opening. I stopped it his attack with the knife and slid it forward towards him before ducking and quickly stabbing him in the throat. A splash of blood hit my forehead just as the man gurgled and fell to the floor. When I picked up his sword, someone grabbed the back of my shirt and pulled me back towards him. Gripping tightly onto the knife, I turned and swiftly jabbed the knife into his arm. He left go of me in a cry of pain and it gave me the opening I needed to stab him through with the sword.

Before the man could fall, I pulled it out and continued running forward in the darkened hallways. Thugs jumped out from nowhere as I slashed and swung my "borrowed" sword around to take them down, but I knew not where I was headed. This was their territory, they knew where to go, but I didn't. At every twist and turn, every room and hallway, there was a bandit waiting for me. Though they were easy men to kill, I was getting annoyed and growing impatient. Where was the damn exit!

A sudden cold in the air erupted around me. I resisted the urge to shudder.

"Turn left here…" came a raspy voice beside me.

It was back. Why was it helping me?

Without a word, I decided to follow its directions despite my better judgement. No matter, I would deal with the ghastly creatures after I leave this holed up hell. One of the bandits landed on the ground from the ceiling, but before he could get up from the floor, I cut off his head. A dark chuckle erupted from the creature, sending chills down my spine. It was enjoying my killing spree!

"My brethren are enjoying their meals," it chuckled again, smoky and uncomfortable.

I shifted my attention to my oncoming enemies and where I was going just so I could keep my mind off imagining the things feed.

Just then, I caught the scent of the air outside. It smelled of the grass and the trees, unlike the dank and stuffy smell of the cavern. I was close to the entrance!

The creature sighed deeply, as if pleased that I would be able to find my way out, before disappearing. I let out a shuddering sigh as I cut another man down. Even if they followed Naraku, I did not like them.

A turn here. A kill there. One, two, three steps, and soon, I was breathing in the night air, filled with the smell of the flora and fauna. The dark sky was filled with glittering stars and a half moon in its wake. Unfortunately, before me stood Onigumo, grinning with that lipless, charred teeth grin of his. I scowled at him and resisted the urge to cringe. Sounds of blood-curling cries and screams were faint from the direction of the opening. I promptly ignored them.

"Well, well, well… If it isn't the Kikyou-look-a-like. Now how did you get away from my men?" he chuckled menacingly.

I caught a smell of Onigumo's rotting skin mixed with his dirty, unclean bandages and almost gagged. I felt for my darts underneath my arm bracers and scoffed silently. Either Onigumo's men were idiots or Onigumo thought me too weak to take away my hidden weapons. "Speechless? Well, it doesn't matter! Since you're here with me, let's play a little! It's not every day that I get to fight and beat the Shikon no Tama twice in one day!" he giggled with a perverted glee in his voice.

Before he could make a move, I threw the knife at him. He deflected it with his sword, but missed the dart I threw immediately after. It stabbed his arm.

"Bitch!" he howled at me.

He growled as he tore the dart out from his arm. I threw another dart to stop him from moving any further. It had dug itself into his leg. With an angry grunt, he tore that one out too.

"Did you think that I was weak?" I scoffed at him.

"You… bitch!" he screamed at me and rushed forward…and fell. He tried to, unsuccessfully, move his leg, but it refused to move, as did his arm. Both had been hit by my darts and were now limp and worthless.

"W-what! Why can't I run!" he snarled at me.

I pulled out another dart, "In another minute, you will lose control of your other arm and leg. Within a few minutes, your body will cease listening to your commands, but you will still retain your ability to speak. In that time though, I may have questions in which need answering." Try as he might, Onigumo's struggle to stand failed. His leg and arm fell like rocks and soon, his other arm and leg failed as well. Within a few minutes, his body lay limply like the dead, except he still breathed and swore that he would rape me and kill me, then rape my dead corpse while he tore it to pieces.

He hissed, "Bitch! You will know nothing from me!"

The man was annoying. If I didn't need him just in case, I would have killed him off already.

"You will do well to shut up, bandit. There is another in which I want answers from. You are for 'just in case' reasons," I scowled at him.

"Ha! My men won't breathe a word to you! You will learn nothing!" he laughed haughtily from the ground.

"They are not the ones that I seek answers from, you fool."

"What?" he yelled angrily, almost surprised.

I scoffed, "I am not so weak that I cannot take on your reckless group of miscreants and fools. I have slain whole armies in one night. If I lose to you fools, I would surely take my own life for such a failure."

* * *

_What happened previously…_

* * *

Onigumo's men charged at me with everything they had. I pulled out a handful of darts and threw them at them. A handful fell, but the ones behind replaced them with more eagerness in every step they took. I pulled out my sword and swung at the first bandit. His sword met with mine with a clank. Grabbing the dagger from his belt, he moved to pull it out, but just as he had pulled it out, I dove forward, loosening my grip and letting his sword pass over my head. I took him by surprise and grabbing his hand holding the dagger, I made him shove it into his own belly. He screamed and I pushed him forward onto the mass of bodies who had just made it to us.

One foot slid forward and I leaned backwards as another sword swung barely an inch away from my face. Stabbing my sword into the ground beside me, I reached forward to grab the man's knife from his belt. He made a surprised sound as I swung my body around and stabbed him with his own knife. I used his body to push myself up and pulled my sword from the ground to swing down on another oncoming bandit.

"She's only one girl! Get her!" someone yelled.

I swung my sword around, taking several heads at once. One of them lunged at my side and I turned around just in time to deflect his sword. Twirling my sword with his, he lost control of his own, dropping it. I slashed across his chest and kicked his body into another crowd.

As I continued fighting, I heard Onigumo laughing from somewhere in the back, reminding me that these men would not fall so easily. Just then, the fallen bodies that I thought I had taken down, rose up like the undead. Wide, lecherous grins spread across their dirty, bloody faces. It would seem that no matter how many I cut down, they would keep coming back up.

I cut down one whom I had just killed earlier. He got up again a few moments afterward to join his friends again in attacking me.

Truly, Onigumo's men are gaining the will to live again by otherworldly means!

I deflected another attack and spied one of the dark beings at the corner of my eye. Mortal men had no such ability to regain lost life, unless if it were by some supernatural force… such as them. They hovered around, seemingly bored though I could see nothing akin to a face on their bodies, whatever they had of it.

After an hour or so of fighting enemies who kept returning to life, I finally decided that I would allow myself to lose to Onigumo so that I could gain some answers from the dark creatures. The onslaught of Onigumo's men would not stop and as long as I continued to fight, even if I were to fight for days on end, they would keep on coming.

I cut down another one of Onigumo's men, only to have him stand up and take his sword.

How did Naraku gain such power? Why would they follow him so willingly, even alongside maggots like Onigumo? I needed answers, and seeing as to how the men did not want to stop, I would not be able to talk to them unless the bandits were out of the picture were snuffed out completely.

Grudgingly, I pretended to be losing until Onigumo snuck in for a final blow, "knocking" me out. I stayed quiet and let my body become limp as they dragged me away to their hideout…

* * *

_Present…_

* * *

Onigumo continued on his parade of insults and obscenities. It continued until it got too annoying. So, I decided to knock him out to shut him up, at least until I needed him anyway. The screams inside the caverns died a little while ago. I rested on a large rock nearby and enjoyed what little moment I had before the suffocating presence of the creatures appeared before me. Despite the darkness of the night, their forms seemed… more solid for some reason.

"You've had your fill?" I asked them in the ancient tongue, except that it came out sounding more like a statement.

One of them hovered forward. I recognized its cold aura as the one whom I had been conversing with earlier.

"Yes…" it hissed merrily, though it sounded more creepy than merry, "we've fed well tonight…though it be from thieves and murderers…"

"But a meal is a meal," I stated.

It nodded, though how I knew that it nodded was beyond me.

"You've no more use for them?"

It breathed, "Pawns are useless once their worth is no more…"

I had enough of this "pleasant" conversation we were having.

"I want answers."

I saw, what appeared to be its mouth, lift up slightly, "And you shall have it."

I felt my blood run cold.

I would have preferred Onigumo's grin to theirs.

* * *

Hmm... two flashbacks in one chapter? Meh, oh well.

Ok... recommendations, recommendations... Ok, here's one, its not a fanfic, or a fic at all (well, its based off a book series so it kinda is...)! Its an HBO series called True Blood! Yes, True Blood! It's actually based off the _Sookie Stackhouse_ book series by Charlaine Harris. I like the book series well enough and the HBO series isn't too bad... well, except it has lots of porn-like scenes (yum), has lots of blood and gore (teehee!) and deviates a bit from the book series, but its still a pretty interesting watch/read. I highly recommend it for vampire lovers. The vampires here a a bit more similar to the classic vampires (well, kinda) that I grew up reading and watching than those of Twilight (I'm sorry but I hate that series! *gags* But feel free to have your own opinions, I don't mind! *smiles*) but with a modern edge to them. Its pretty cool!

Anyway, once again, I thank you all for your reviews and comments and hope you enjoyed reading


	26. Chapter 26

Hey, sorry I'm late. I've been busy with my new full-time job and trying to keep my friend, who has cancer, out of depression and thinking she's going to die from the chemo. She's doing better now though. I think its because she's always by herself that she sinks into depression, so having friends around keeps her out of it, I guess.

Anyway, next chapter. A lot shorter than I would have wanted, but oh well, its a chapter. Two chapters actually. Well, enjoy!... or try to enjoy...?

Also... haven't had time to edit much and I kind of slipped off into third person at times... so if I did, sorry. Will fix it later.

* * *

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Twenty Six**_

_By: PhoenixBlade_

* * *

Gods of Death?

The unearthly creature before me had just said that it was a Shinigami, a God of Death... What nonsense was this?

"No such thing exists, creature. What lies are you spouting forth?" I snarled between clenched teeth.

The thing chuckled lowly, making me shiver in revulsion, "Miko, we are Shinigami… Though ningen and youkai have… polished the image of our doings since then, we were death-bringers… Many, ningen and youkai, feared us and our power… We were _gods_ in their eyes, and they trembled at our might. Many died by our hands and we _reveled_ in the taste of their blood and flesh..."

"But Death Gods are not death-bringers," I spat out at it, "From what I have just felt and seen, your people do not bring the dead to the afterlife. You _consume_ them, their souls."

"We were called Shinigami because we caused death… Many died by our hands and the whole world feared us… We _were_ Death…" the hoarseness of its voice reminded me of sandpaper.

"You're _still_ nothing but soul stealers."

Its aura intensified abruptly, as if angry at my comment. A strong gust of freezing wind suddenly rushed around me… but just as it had come, it had gone. Where had it come from? From him?

"Third-rate fools they are, soul-stealers!" it snarled at me, "we are anything but that!"

Its form, whatever I could see and feel of it, suddenly began to grow larger before my eyes... and become more visible. A sudden chill and stroke of fear ran down my back. This was not good…

Yet he began to shrink back to his former size, as if reining in his anger.

"Soul stealers… consume souls to stay alive… We are anything but that… We have crossed over death and back again… we have conquered even death!... soul stealers cannot accept their deaths and struggle to maintain a hopeless life by taking the souls of others…"

Feeling the courage to speak up, I said, "Yet you consume souls. How would that make you any different than them?"

He snarled, "Because we do not fear Death!... It is not the souls of others that keep us alive-no, it is their souls that give us our power!"

It trembled slightly, for what reason, I didn't know… but it was slightly disturbing.

"We ruled the world once… but it came to an end once the miko known as Midoriko, who was known then as the Shikon no Tama, took everything from us… Through we were too strong to be purified entirely… and we had the power and will to return from death… that _bitch,_ cursed us… we were cursed! She purified our bodies, destroyed them, and cut off our means to travel to and from death… it left naught but our souls to diminish… and fade into nonexistence over time…"

He breathed in deeply, making me shudder again.

"My brethren began to fade away… When they disappeared, they never returned… our souls held no power, no strength… that is until I discovered that we could enter ningen bodies as they were weak… and then soon learn to channel the darkness within themselves to become our food... Soon, we learned to manipulate their thoughts and even their actions… and through them, we fed on the deaths they caused through their tainted hearts… and through our mediums, could we return them to life as the souls we partook in could revive them…"

"It would never be enough, will it?" I put in, "your feeding? Even if you fed on the souls of everyone in the world, it will never give you all your strength back."

"We need our bodies to house these souls of ours… but they are no more… ningen bodies, even those of the youkai now… they are not strong enough… and they have changed over time… we cannot control them…we are not compatible…"

Then I remembered, "Then what of Naraku? Why ally with him? I don't understand why you said that he was Death"

"Naraku…" it hissed, "he has the makings of one who is to become a Shinigami, one of us…A death-bringer. His heart is dark…like ours…"

A thought came to my mind, "Are you trying to make him a host for you?"

It suddenly barked out laughing, but it sounded more like wheezing… wheezing that sounded like thunder claps that echoed breathlessly.

"Have you not heard a word I said?... Your bodies are too different for us now… We cannot take your bodies… though we can feed through your bodies… the souls of my brothers are still dying, disappearing into nothingness… We know not how much longer we have with these formless bodies we have… That is why… many years ago, when Naraku came to be, we felt a resonance with him, one like ours….

We taught him all that we knew and like the prodigal son that he was to us, he had everyone in the land to their knees… Though the people of this land fought back, led by their four Great Heroes… they never knew, that their Great War was an experimental stage we had laid out to test him…"

I frowned, "And he flew with flying colors."

"Yes…" it hissed, "he passed… Unlike us, he had placed an idiot in front of him, to take on all his deeds and in the end; he escaped without anyone knowing… The Four Great Heroes though… had found out about us and sealed us away… the world though… never knew… Naraku, they never knew it was he who plunged their land into disarray…"

Then it hit me, the Great War? Four Great Heroes? The great calamity that happened from before I was born that had driven my father to become intimate with that _bitch_? _That_ war?

A flash of anger spread throughout me, but I willed it away, some of it anyway. I wasn't too happy with this new information that I was born into a loveless marriage and into this stupid world because someone was testing out their skills for world domination.

"If you had been sealed by the… (scoff ) _Heroes_… how did Naraku find you and free you?"

It breathed, "He has his ways… and his minions."

I realized then, that before, after the incident with my first meeting with this thing and Onigumo at Lord Kab's castle, I had almost beat up Bankotsu so as to make him talk about what Naraku had been planning and if it could put my own plans in jeopardy.

So _this_ is what he was doing…

I shook my head and growled, "And now that you've seen what he can do, what's in it for you? From what I hear, you're going to die out anyway."

I felt it smirk, sending another chill down my neck.

"Naraku will take this pathetic world and plunge it into a never-ending age of darkness… Knowing that, we will be content… as well as patient with his fooling around… for now..."

Fooling around?

It seemed to be looking at me as if I were a part of Naraku's "fooling around."

"And how do I fit into all this?" I asked.

The thing was telling me all of this and had put me as priority over Onigumo, even killing off his men. Why me? How was I of any significance?

It seemed to be hesitating as I waited for an answer. I then realized that I didn't. They didn't have anything set for me at all. Annoyed and slightly angry, I clenched my fists to stop from punching someone, considering the thing before me had no form to hit.

"What does Naraku have planned for me?" I growled, a hint of violence edging my every word.

"…That… is something only Naraku knows…"

* * *

Sorry, no suggestions this time around. I gotta work soon and haven't even brushed my teeth or eaten yet, plus I gotta put the other chapter up. Will talk more in, not next chapter, but the one after!


	27. Chapter 27

WARNING! LIME!

I miss writing lemons in here... I really do, but this one has lime and it's not with Sesshoumaru. *looks away* ...but they will have a moment soon... several chapters down the road... but they will!

I didn't do much editing either so there might be some mistakes and I might have gone off into third person too... whoops...

* * *

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Twenty Seven**_

_By: PhoenixBlade_

_

* * *

_

Dawn was only a few hours away, and I was reluctant to return to Inuyasha and the others. Onigumo's band of cohorts had already screwed up my stupid mission and I had no need to return to the West any time soon. Though I was slowly making my way back, I was still troubled with my own thoughts.

I was still confused by the whole… conversation I just had with the Shinigami. Though they were not the ones I had grown up knowing about, who brought souls of the dead to the afterlife, they had been called Shinigami for their murderous deeds when they lived and their ability to transcend death and return to the mortal realm. Now they were floating specters, a mere shell of their former selves with a fraction of the power they once possessed, yet their powers could still do much damage. If they could bring others back to life with the souls of others, as well as provide them with what seemed to be limitless power, I couldn't imagine what they could and would do if they were brought back to this world… but thanks to Midoriko, they couldn't.

"A coin for your thoughts?"

I recognized the voice, belonging to a person who could only be as devious and cunning, and as disgusting. How could I have let myself be pleasured by such a person?

"Naraku…" I snarled and turned to face him.

He was casually leaning against a tree, a grin on his face. Oddly enough, he was only dressed in a simple black yukata, loosely tied around his body and giving me a good look at his chest. What was with wrong with these gorgeously handsome, but evil men that I hated with a passion and their loose yukatas? Did they think me a whore who slept with any man that wore loose clothing..?

I scoffed at myself. Sesshoumaru had been one… and Naraku as well.

"What do you want?" I snapped at him.

His grin grew wider and his eyes sparkled in their blood red mirth.

"Quid quo pro."

I was taken back, "what?"

He chuckled lightly and pushed himself away from the tree to stand before me.

"Quid quo pro, my dear miko-sama." He teased, "It means something for something."

I frowned at him, knowing where he was getting at, "You mean something for nothing."

A fake look of sadness showed up on his face and his hand went to his heart, "You wound me, my dear. Is that how you see me?"

I growled at him, "Well, the person who always seems to get the short end of the stick is me, not you."

That devious smirk of his returned, his eyes sparkling even more now mixed with lust.

"Oh really?" he smirked and rose his hands to wrap around me.

His hands sensually landed on my shoulders and gently moved down my back to press me against his hot body. Yet his goal was not to hug me, but to make me feel that the short end of the stick wasn't short at all, but rather hard and pressing against my stomach.

"I hope that my stick isn't as short as you would think it seems," he whispered seductively into my ear and brushed his clothed member against me several times to get his point across, "because I'm sure you know how not-so-short it was inside of you."

I growled again, irritated with him and began pushing away from him.

"What do you really want?" I snarled.

"My, my, Kagome. I only wish to answer your questions… just as long as you grant me what I want as well. It'd only be fitting that I gain something as well. Something for something, my dear." he smirked as his lips pressed against my neck.

"No sex." I pointed out frankly to him. No more of that, I didn't want him to fuck me at all.

He stilled and pulled back. A look of thoughtfulness on his face before it was replaced with his ever present smirk.

"Very well, but for every answer, I get to take off your clothes, not that there's much," he told me, eyes full of glee at the thought of seeing my naked person. I had taken off my armor and clothes in exchange for a simple jacket and yukata that I stolen as the aura of the Shinigami had seeped in during our talk and still lingered in them, making me feel uncomfortable. "But once the clothes are gone, I get to touch you. Agreed?"

He'd already fucked me, so what did it matter that he saw or touched my body? Just as long as he stayed the hell away from fucking me, I didn't care.

"Agreed, but no sex."

He held his hands back, as if he had the most innocent intentions in the world.

"Why are you using the Shinigami?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment, but then smirked and began peeling away my outer shirt, "I'm not using them. They are using me."

"That's not a good answer." I frowned.

"But an answer nonetheless, my dear," he chuckled as the jacket fell, "Choose your words wisely, or else you're going to end up underneath me while I'm thrusting into you."

I scoffed and his response was a smirk.

"Fine… Tell me about the Shinigami and Midoriko."

He chuckled, "That is not a question, my dear. It's a request, rather, it's two."

"Just tell me dammit!" I growled at him.

"Mmm… feisty…" he chuckled again and pulled off both of my gloves, "very well…"

He grounded into me and I resisted the urge to spit in his face…however, I was starting to feel hot and bothered about it, but didn't want to let him know. _Bastard_.

"I suppose the Shinigami told you, about their ordeal in the past. The believed themselves to be some sort of god, but in the end they were just very strong youkai who had the ability to not die. They took over the world, made it their plaything while killing millions for the mere enjoyment of it."

"Like you do?" I spat at him.

He smirked, "I suppose, my dear… and I believe that question calls for another piece off."

I swore at myself in my head as he took off my sword and tossed it aside.

"Now where was I…? Oh yes, they took over the world. However, they never realized that there was someone out there who could destroy them, not kill them mind you, and that was Midoriko, the most powerful miko during their time and was known as the Shikon no Tama, or the Shikon no Miko, like you," he said and stroked my hair lightly.

"You're touching," I told him and he chuckled as he pulled his hand away.

"Midoriko rallied up many others and defeated the Shinigami. However, they were too much for her to handle as they could revive themselves and others so she did the only thing she knew to do, she cursed them."

"Mikos don't curse."

His eyebrow lifted, "Of course they don't, but Midoriko was special so she cursed them, and now they're just floating ghosts."

He wanted me to keep asking, and I knew he wanted me to, because I wanted to know more, "How was she special?"

Before he answered, he coaxed me into a laying position and came up between my legs to hover over me. A hand slid down my leg and pulled off my boot.

"You're touching," I warned him, "you're breaking your own rules."

"On the contrary, my dear, I'm taking what I want before you ask the question. It's an equal exchange."

"No its not you-"

I was suddenly silenced by his lips on mine. Before I could even react, his tongue was already in my mouth, inserting something in and making me swallow it. Just as I was about to bite down on his tongue, he pulled back and looked down at me playfully.

"You b-"

"I've changed the terms," he smirked, "I'll answer your questions while I take off your clothes and touch you. No ifs, ands, or buts about it, my dear."

"What!"

"I do so love your questions," he chuckled seductively and pulled off my other boot before going to the ties to my shirt.

I raised my arms to push him off, but instead, it went to grab the lapels of his yukata to pull his hot body even closer. Had it just gotten colder out? Why was I actively seeking his body out?

"That pill," I choked out angrily.

"Makes the taker crave for the other's body heat… just the way I like it…" he smirked.

"B-bastard!"

"I'm not that evil, my dear, I'll make sure to answer your questions while I take off your clothes and touch you… now where were we?...'

I clenched my teeth when he began pulling my shirt open, revealing the cloth that bound my breasts together.

"Ah yes, Midoriko. As it turns out, she was called the Shikon no Tama for a good reason," he said as he ripped the cloth down the middle with his bare hands and threw it away, "It would seem that the gods had bestowed upon her the power of four souls, that of ningens, youkai, the spirit of nature and death. With all those souls, their powers combined, she was able to eliminate the Shinigami's chances for revival, destroying their physical forms."

He slipped a hand underneath my shirt and pawed my breast. He did the same with the other one with his other hand before slipping my shirt off. I held back a moan of pleasure. The heat was building up and my body was craving for more of Naraku's own body heat. I felt myself getting wet between my legs. This was not good.

Pinching a nipple, he continued on, "With the last bit of her powers, she _changed_ the world a bit and its inhabitants. This change was not enough to be felt by the world, but enough so that the Shinigami had no place in it."

"T-that's why they're fading away?" I managed to spit out, trying to maintain control and grasping on tightly to his yukata, making it even looser.

"Exactly," he smirked before untying the strings to my pants and pulling it off me.

Ifelt him bump against my thighs roughly; his bulge had gotten larger and harder. Why did he enjoy looking at my scarred and nude body so much?

Sliding a hand underneath the cloth hiding my nether region, he fingered my clit a bit, stroking it until I felt my juices seeping out before I felt him slip his finger in. Though I tried effortlessly in suppressing a moan, I failed. The damn pill was making it harder for me to think straight!

"By some means or another, they found a way to feed and live a bit longer. Through their hunger and feeding, they created me, by combining their own evil and the darkness inside of youkai and ningens together,"

I gasped, both in pleasure and realization at his rough handling of my breast and the thrusting between my thighs, "You… you're a part of them!"

"Yes, my little miko, I am…" he said and pushed another finger in, "but I am only half. As I said before, I was born from the darkness of youkai _and_ ningens, making me a hanyou."

With the other hand, he ripped the cloth away, giving Naraku a good view of his fingers pumping my now dripping cunt. He proceeded in adding another finger, making me bite my lip from screaming from the amounting pleasure. This shouldn't be happening. I shouldn't…

"They taught me all that I knew and tested me by having me instigate that stupid war years ago. It would have been flawless and would have worked out well if I hadn't miscalculated the ningens and youkai combining forces, despite their many centuries worth of hatred between the two races. Luckily, I was able to slip away before the end… however, the Shinigami were found out and sealed away…"

"…If you… were able to s-start a war… why need them..?" I managed to say between his now rough and quickening thrusts. I hadn't orgasmed yet; perhaps he was trying to force it out of me? Male pride.

He leaned down to give me a soul-searing, tongue battling kiss before tracing his lips down to my breasts. He gave my nipple a lick before sucking and nibbling on it. The same was done to the other breast before he leaned back up, groping my breast again with one hand and sped up the pace even more between my legs. His eyes were full of mirth and his smirk seemed to be so erotic and powerful.

"Pawns still have some use… like using them on Onigumo's men… and also, in bringing you to me…" he answered and slammed his lips down on mine again.

He rammed his fingers inside me so rough and unexpectedly that I came, _hard_.

* * *

I woke up later to find myself fully dressed in a different attire under the shade of a tree. Sitting up, I looked around to see that it was day and no one else was around. Had that been a dream? Had we done more than just…? Or had I dreamed that too…?

Sighing, I picked up my sword and began walking away, almost missing a piece of paper pin to a tree with Sesshoumaru's crescent moon insignia on it.


	28. Chapter 28

Hey all, I am back. My friend, who has cancer, is doing well. There was a bit of an emergency that happened a while ago, but she's recovering well so I'm happy about that! (^_^) On the downside, work has gotten me so tired that updating seems like a hassle to do sometimes as my boss gives me weird shifts to work and most times, it's the crappiest hours where I can't do anything in the morning and when I get off work, I'm too tired and its late enough for there to be nothing for me to do but sleep, maybe read a little… but I'm trying, hence, this chapter.

Anyway, next chapter is up. It's short, but it'll have to do for now. Read and enjoy!

* * *

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Twenty Eight**_

_By: PhoenixBlade_

* * *

I held two pieces of paper in my hands. One with the insignia of Sesshoumaru on it and the other was a note from that damn hanyou Naraku.

Weighing between the two, I couldn't decide which one to read first… for a few moments before tearing open the one that smelled faintly of Naraku.

Though Naraku was a growing threat, Sesshoumaru was still at the forefront of my mind. Letters sent by Sesshoumaru were not a matter that required dilly-dallying after being read; hence Naraku's letter would be read first. Though Sesshoumaru was still the target, Naraku was a petty distraction that needed to be dealt with first… though petty was too small a word to describe all his recent activities with me.

I growled angrily at the memory of Naraku's skillful fingers pumping inside me and the way his tongue worked its way to making me cum. Taking his note, I tore it open.

...

_Kagome-chan,_

_Last night was a pleasurable evening in which I would like to enjoy with you sometime in the near future, though it would be more pleasant if you willingly came to me. I am saddened by the fact that the first time I took you was during a fit of depression that you had fallen into, and last night when I drugged you. I am hoping that you will eagerly join in next time I take you._

_On another note, one of the Shichinitai intercepted the attached letter from Sesshoumaru's domain to his generals. This is one of many which have been sent out. _

_Till then, my dear._

_Naraku_

_..._

I felt my face burn in anger, but quickly brushed it aside as I opened the other letter… to see that it was a summons. Before reading, I noticed the unusual writing style that wasn't Sesshoumaru's. Even the paper itself was something that Sesshoumaru would never use… and he _never_ sent letters out to find me. I'd be given an indefinite amount of time to finish my task and I'd always return on my own.

Strangely enough, a strange smell seemed to be emanating from the note. It didn't smell like Naraku, nor did it smell of Sesshoumaru or Hiten… more like it had beebn added in… but perhaps it was nothing at all.

Finally set on the fact that the letter wasn't from Sesshoumaru, I read it… _carefully_.

...

_Subjects of Sesshoumaru-sama,_

_If you should find the Shikon no Tama, direct her towards the Moon. Tell her to make haste._

_General Hiten_

_..._

Short and simple, very Hiten-ish. Though intelligent, the youkai hated writing letters.

Yet why would he write to summon me? He detested me, hated the very thought of my existence, considering I took the position which he deemed had rightfully belonged to him, at Sesshoumaru's side. The youkai hated being around me, yet now; he would ask me to return to the castle? Whatever for? And where was Sesshoumaru in all this?

Re-reading the letter, I felt that there was no dark intentions behind it, rather, it sounded somewhat… desperate? Perhaps there was a matter concerning Sesshoumaru in which I had to be part of…? Thought whatever the matter was, I knew not. It was possible that someone was invading the Western Lands… though that idea was highly unlikely, considering Sesshoumaru would have left nothing left of them after a few swipes of his poisonous claws.

Closing my eyes, I sighed in frustration. I would have to go. Should the matter prove to be a trap for me, I would overcome it. Should it concern my plans coming to fruition, I would lay waste to the obstacles prohibiting me from completing them… However, should Sesshoumaru truly be in some sort of danger, it was only fitting that I go and put an end to his miserable life. The youkai was a tactician, calculating and highly intelligent. If something were to happen to him in which he could not overcome, my revenge would be pointless.

…Yet this was Sesshoumaru, he would not sit idly by and be destroyed… except by me.

Burning both pieces of paper in my hands, I coughed as I accidentally breathed in an odd bit of smoke. Not thinking too much about it, I summoned my miko energies to feel a large mass of youkai energies thousands of miles away towards the west. Although I needed to head back to Inuyasha before he started looking for me, he would have to be put on hold. I sped off towards the Western Lands.

* * *

Almost a week later, I came to the Western Lands. Although I would have reached here earlier, the many youkai that had entered Sesshoumaru's services or wished to be around the youkai lord and his lands were terrorizing and killing any ningen that came onto his lands. Not knowing who I was, the youkai sought to add me to their pile of dead ningen, but I decapitated them before they could even touch me. Noone had the right to touch me, or the intent to. Only Sesshoumaru was allowed that, though I did not welcome it. Naraku was another story altogether and one that I didn't want to be near me again.

Needless to say, I had been delayed by the many youkai I had passed and killed or left mortally wounded. Some had to live, they would need to help Sesshoumaru and in turn, it would help my plans as well. However, not wanting to be delayed any further, I cut through the Western Lands through Sesshoumaru's own personal lands, in which no other youkai were allowed in as he often hunted there.

Before I had come into his life, he had often times roamed the land, away from the Western Lands, in search of challenges and entertainment. Hence, that was how he came across my village. Destroying my village had been somewhat of a sport for him, or rather, more for his soldiers. At the time, Sesshoumaru had been suffering from the need to rut and I was the unfortunate lass to bear the brunt of his desires for the female flesh. After he had taken me in, he returned to the Western Lands and stayed there, training and fucking me at the same time.

As I was considered weak back then, he had decided to clear a large expanse of the Western Lands to make it his own personal space where he could run in his inu form and hunt all he wanted. It was this very same forest in which I had also been trained in, and was currently passing through. Others were not allowed to set foot into his personal lands. I had gone through this same forest many times before and Sesshoumaru hadn't minded. Others… were not so lucky… or alive.

A sudden sharp stab gripped onto my leg and I stopped. It wasn't painful, but I seemed to have completely lost control of both my legs before I went catapulting to the ground floor.

"What the hell…" I grunted.

I tried forcing my legs to move, but they refused to listen. Not happy with my current predicament, I swore and began dragging myself forward… until my hands and arms suddenly fell limp, along with the rest of my body. I was… paralyzed! A thousand thoughts ran through my head as I thought of reasons why I had been paralyzed. I had been poisoned for sure, perhaps due to the smoke I had inhaled earlier from burning the letters. Aside from Sesshoumaru who knew poisons like the back of his hand, there was one other I knew who was a poison expert…and had also given me the same concoction that I had used on Onigumo prior to speaking with the Shinigami.

I was stuck on the forest floor for a short while before I heard shuffling footsteps in the bushes nearby. A pair of straw sandals came into view. I recognized them, along with the aura and the poisonous smell of the person.

"Mukotsu!" I snarled at him, "You've betrayed me!"

The bastard chuckled. He swore loyalty to me, why betray me now?

"My lady, I have never betrayed you…" he chuckled.

I could not turn my head to look at him, and could only see his straw sandals.

Then his voice turned dark, "But you have betrayed my love for you by going to that… that _creature_ you serve… and for that, I will make sure you will love no one else but me!"

Fuck.

* * *

Ok ok, suggestions... Well, for any Bleach readers who are fans of the couple Ulquiorra and Orihime (which I am a BIG fan of!), might I suggest Muse by PrincessKitty1 here at fanfiction(dot)net? It's a pretty **damn** good read and even if you're not familiar with Bleach, it's still AU enough that one might be able to read it without knowing much about series at all. The story goes that Orihime is a prostitute, forced into the role from when she was a child by her own father and teachers as well as fellow students. She passes out one drunken night to be "saved" by Ulquiorra, a mysterious man whom has lost his inspiration for music.

The romance doesn't start until much later, but there are hints here and there. It starts out dark, pretty sad and all, but then the story picks up and there's quite a bit of comedy throughout the whole thing and its quite fun to read. Unfortunately (but fortunately for me), its M-rated (cause of the dark and sex themes) so it might be a bit of a heavy read for those looking for something lighter, but all in all, it's a **VERY** good fanfic.

Anyway, you guys know about the books called Chicken Soup for the Soul? Well, for writers like _moi_, reviews are _also_ good for the soul… *hint hint* (^_~) Laters!


	29. Chapter 29

Hey all! I am back! For those who have questions about my absence, I will instead direct you to my profile as it will answer your questions. On another note, Snow Pearl was nominated and won a joint third place with Sessakag's "Angel" for best Sesshoumaru Portrayal for Dokuga's 3rd Quarter 2010 awards. I thank all who nominated and voted for Snow Pearl! Thanks to all for your support and for enjoying this story!

By the way, there is mature content in this, towards the end. Also, I haven't edited this chapter too much so it may be kinda... bad... but let's see how it goes!

Remember the double R's please! Read and review!

* * *

**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Twenty Nine**_

_By: PhoenixBlade_

* * *

I awoke from the fog of unconsciousness to the mumblings of a fool. Wherever I was, it was warm. A sweet smell permeated the air, making my body feel heavy, weak and numb. My eyes opened slightly, taking in the dim, dark room. The only light I could spot as my eyes began to clear was from a candle somewhere in front of me. Though I was seated upright, I could not feel my legs, my arms, or any other part of my body. My body swayed slightly as I tried to lift my head, but even that was a chore to do.

The mumbling grew louder, mixed in with the pounding and grinding sounds of a mortar. Forcing my eyes to look up, I saw Mukotsu. The bastard.

Mukotsu! You snake! You dare defy me! I thought to say, but my lips refused to budge.

Whatever herbs or poisons Mukotsu was using, it was doing a good job of keeping me knocked out, or barely conscious and unable to move.

"I need a little more… mumble mumble… no… that's too much...ah…too little… mumble mumble…" and he continued to mumble away as he added more herbs to the mortar.

When he moved to get up, I closed my eyes and feigned sleep. I heard the rustling of his clothes and the pads of his feet hit the creaky wooden floorboards as he came before me. I wanted to reach out my hand to grab that stubby neck of his and choke the life out of him.

"Ah… you're still asleep… yes, my lovely lady, sleep forever if you must… but soon, very soon… I will make you like me… no one will dare to touch you, yes, no one…"

I heard him move a bit before a long piece of light fabric was draped over my head.

"A veil, to frame your beautiful face. Soon, we will be married, my lady, soon! We will finally be together once I make you as poisonous as me! Yes! Then, no one will be able to touch you, except me!" he chuckled.

I wanted to scowled at him, swear and curse him. Driving my sword through his gut would have been better.

He continued, "Ah… Renkotsu was right to tell me to take you away."

Renkotsu! So he was behind this!

"Although I don't like him much, he's smart, I'll give him that. He was right though, about that creature you serve. That _animal_ wouldn't have been able to take care of you-what a dog he is! Dogs are trash, not your superiors! Animals can't take care of someone like you, my lady! Only I can!" he muttered to no one in particular.

He mumbled some more to himself, about asking Renkotsu to come to his wedding before it got too dark, I heard him walking away. The sounds of a door open and close told me he was gone. I slowly opened my eyes, making sure that he was gone. Once I was sure, I began to fidget, to move my body to grab something, anything. The poison maker hadn't bothered to tie me up, a large mistake on his part. Though potent, I would not let the lull of the poison in the air to force me back to sleep.

I spied a knife by the candle, not too far from me. If I reached out for it, I could grab it. I tried moving my fingers, then my hand, then my arm until I began to have some control back, though not very much. My hands fell to the floor before me, slowly dragging me forward to the knife. The poison in the air was strong and I swear I was almost knocked out several times, but somehow, I dragged my body on until I grasped the knife in my hand. Panting and shaking my head to clear my mind once more, I knew what I had to do next.

One, two, three.

With all the strength that I could muster, I stabbed the knife into my arm. I held back a scream as the pain quickly overwhelmed me, piercing and sharp. I felt the warm blood seeped through my sleeve once I tore the knife out, biting back another cry of pain. Good. I could focus on the pain. That would keep me awake while I tried to escape.

I took several deep breaths as my mind became wide awake, my body responding to pain. Tearing off Mukotsu's veil, I forced myself up with knife in one hand and the other hand over my self-inflicted wound to keep it from bleeding too much. Just before I exited, I saw my weapons sitting by the wall next to the door. I grabbed them and left the room to meet the light of day. The light stung my eyes, unused to all the brightness, but for once, I was glad for it…yet it did not last long as I had little time before Mukotsu would return. Looking around, I saw that we were in a forest, heavily wooded as it would seem. Though I had some strength back, it was only enough to keep me moving, not enough to fight. I had to get away from here… wherever here was.

I darted forward, taking blind steps and trying to keep as alert as I could just in case Mukotsu or something else there that was bad could get to me. Assuming that what Mukotsu was saying was true, I looked at the angle of the sun and figured which way would lead west. Why go west, I didn't know… but west I went.

Along the way, the bleeding got worse. I paused for a bit to rip off my sleeves to wrap around the wound, then I continued on. Along the way, I found herbs to help slow down the bleeding and realized then that the herbs were rare to find except in…the west.

I gasped.

I was still in the west, in Sesshoumaru's forest.

And for once, I was relieved to be somewhere I knew where it belonged to that youkai.

There was a faint rustling behind me. I immediately grabbed a dart, still hidden under my gloves, and threw it where the noise came from. Out jumped the short form of Mukotsu. Fuck.

"My lady! Why have you wandered so far away from our love shack? Why are you trying to run from me?" he pleaded with me.

I unsheathed my sword and held it before me. Why did my sword feel so heavy?

"I only wanted to save you from the beast that caught you! Renkotsu told me that you'd understand once I made you mine! Why don't you understand that I love you?"

My eyelids were suddenly heavy and my body weakening. I shook my head and focused on the aching pain in my arm and the man before me… or tried to. He continued rambling on as I fought to stay conscious. It was only then that I noticed that the air smelled sweet. I realized then that he had let loose his poison while distracting me. Fuck.

My other arm flew to my face, to ward off the poison in the air, but it was no use. I tried backing up, but my knees buckled and soon fell. I stabbed my sword into the ground to help me up, but that was proving to be a chore. All the while, Mukotsu continued talking, taking a step closer and closer. I tossed the knife from earlier at him, but it fell short from hitting him and instead, struck the ground between his feet.

I grunted as I tried to pull myself up again, but my legs refused to move.

"If you stop fighting my love, then it will all be better…" crooned the short man, "once I make you drink the poison, you'll be like me and only then can we truly be together!"

"I don't want you!" I growled.

He stopped, seemingly surprised before he spoke again.

"Maybe not now, but I know you'll learn to love me! We won't be able to have any kids together because of the poison being in your system, but I can love you and care for you all you want!"

"Get the fuck away from me!" I spat at him.

Mukotsu became angry, "It's that _creature_, isn't it? You want him so bad and his fucking brats! No matter! Once I give you the poison, you won't be able to have anyone's brats, and no one but I can touch you!"

"You're an idiot!" I shouted at him as I tried shaking off the poison, "Mikos and youkai cannot have children!"

Mukotsu stopped again, shocked at the revelation that I could never bear any of Sesshoumaru's children, not that I would have cared. The energies between us were constantly at war with each other. Any child I would have had would have instantly been aborted due to the conflicting energies of its parents and the fact that my body would have purified anything alien, youkai-wise, instantly. Even if I had any children, they would only be problematic for me and my goals.

He said no more but kept coming. As a last ditch effort, I grabbed my wound and squeezed, making the pain increase tenfold, but it wasn't enough to help me move my body. The poison was stronger this time around. I was doomed.

Just as the poisonmaker was just steps away from me, a familiar and large youki suddenly washed over me. It was…!

In the blink of an eye, what used to be in Mukotsu's place now stood the tall and dominating figure of Sesshoumaru in his white kimono, sans weapons and armor. He held Mukotsu up by the throat with his claws, now dripping with poison, and before Mukotsu could say anything, his throat was crushed and his body flung into the bushes unseen. I watched on as Sesshoumaru cut the air with his poison and suddenly, the sweet smell of Mukotsu's poison was gone. With it, my strength began to return, little by little.

When I was finally able to lift myself from the ground, Sesshoumaru turned around. I gulped as his youki suddenly expanded, overpowering my own miko energy and forcing me to submit. His eyes were blood red, his stripes were jagged and his fangs were bared. He was trying to hold himself back, but from what?

He came towards me, his steps hard and his movements rough. With every step, I felt myself begin to cower at his awesome power, and with every stride, I worshipped him like a fearsome god. Gone was the hatred I held for him, though only temporarily, and left in its place was desire and lust, with the promise of intense and passionate sex. He stopped before me, breaths deep and ragged, his body was stiff like a board. He growled a low growl before he suddenly descended and knocked me onto my back. Climbing over me, he tore off all my clothes, along with his, and played with my body until I dripping wet and begging for him to take me quickly, lest I die from his attentions.

His thick length rubbed against my clit in several strokes before I felt his fangs sink into my shoulder the same time he pushed himself inside me. I gasped as he set a quick and fast pace. My hands fisted into his hair as his lips moved to lap away at the blood seeping out from both wounds on my shoulder and arm. One hand wrapped around my leg, forcing it to lift higher on his hip and spreading me wider for him. His other hand groped my breast and squeezed it to the point of pain. I found myself unable to breathe as his movements suddenly became jarring, as if he tried pushing all of himself into me with every push, only to pull out quickly and repeat. My hands fisted in his hair, reaching for anything and everything that was him as he fucked me hard in long and harsh strokes.

Then, before I knew it, I came hard against him, screaming his name. In a few more strokes, he finally released inside of me. It was enough to render me unconscious, due to the intensity of our climaxes and blood loss, but Sesshoumaru pulled out his still-hard penis and flipped me over. I suddenly snapped awake when I felt his hard body crushing me to the ground and his thick penis pushing inside of me, wet and bulging, ready for another round.

I moaned as he growled in lust. When he began thrusting again, sharp and fluid, I realized then why I had been called back to the Western Lands.

"Mine!" he snarled as he came with me, but continued thrusting, his length throbbing and still hard.

The youkai lord was in heat.

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Time for story suggestions! Might I suggest "Stealing Heaven" by Freya Ishtar? It's a mighty good read, AU and mature, but very well written nonetheless. It's full of Kagome/Sesshoumaru hotness, archeology, possession by supposed dead demons, crazy dead fangirls, other things, and **Naraku**, who always makes things interesting for me considering he likes to "eat her up." Pun intended. Teehee. This is a **MUST **read!

Well, hope you enjoyed this chapter!


	30. Chapter 30

A **_very_** short _lemon_ chapter. I've had this sitting in my folder for months. Not sure if I like it or not and unsure of how to continue it, but I've been delaying this for months so I might as well put this out for you guys so I can continue on. As for my absence... well, let's just say I suck at life and everything in it. Let's hope the next chapter comes to me soon. Tertium Non Datur is still sitting in my folder waiting to be continued, which will be underway soon. Till then, read on!

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**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Thirty**_

_By: PhoenixBlade_

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It was one of the few times that night that he was tender with me, gentle in his strokes and light kisses with his mouth. Shivering beneath him, my hands caressed his sweaty back as he slid in and out slowly, so slowly. I released a shuddering sigh as he nibbled and sucked on a taut nipple and jerkily thrust between my thighs. Gentle lovemaking was not his forte when his heat was upon him, but I didn't care. The feel of his thick and turgid length inside of me was hot and delicious, and I wanted more.

After he had disposed of Mukotsu in the forest and had his way with me until the sun began to set, he dragged me into one of his hidden caves in the forest and began his rigorous assault on me even before we reached the part of the cave where the furs to lay down was at. I didn't think much the whole time, not even my supposed kidnapping by Mukotsu or his death even entered my mind as Sesshoumaru slammed his hard length into me over and over as I whimpered and moaned loud for him. I was given little rest after he emptied himself inside me, as he would suddenly be upon me again, fondling me and licking away until I was wet and begging for him again.

A sharp nip at the mark between my shoulder and neck brought me out of my thoughts. I mewled as a wet tongue laved away at it, as if to soothe away the pain, but the gentleness of his lips and tongue were nothing compared to the quickening and harsh thrusts of his length pushing in and out of me. I moaned as he picked up speed, grasping my hips and pulling them up higher, making me arch more for him.

"Ka…go…me…" he grunted out between thrusts.

I grew more wet hearing the huskiness of his voice, deep and laced with lust, and the sounds of us having sex. The cave resounded with the sound of our hips slapping against each other, the squishing sounds of our juices mixing and the sounds of me moaning, with an occasional grunt from the youkai lord as he pumped into me.

I felt the stirring of another climax hitting me. Sesshoumaru must have felt it too, for he suddenly leaned down to press his chest tightly to mine, wrapped his arms around my waist and began thrusting in a frenzy pace. I let out choked pants before he slammed his lips down on me, thrusting his tongue into my mouth and starting a tongue battle as wave after wave of pleasure overcame me, pulling and pushing me to reach my own climax. I turned away at one particular thrust to moan out loud. He sought out my lips again and once more, our tongues danced in each other's mouth, seeking to increase the pleasure we both felt before we would come. I pulled away again as I began having trouble breathing and curled my head into the side of his neck, licking my dry lips holding him tightly for all that he was worth.

"Cum for me…" he huskily murmured in my ear.

The heat between my legs was searing and before I knew it, bright flashes danced before my eyes as I screamed out into the dark cave and came hard. I held on tightly to Sesshoumaru as he thrusted once…twice… and a liquid warmth suddenly poured inside me. We gripped hard onto one another as we both rode out each other's orgasm until it finished. My body became lax as his head slumped down on my sweaty chest. I panted and lazily took notice that Sesshoumaru had begun tracing odd patterns on my skin with the tips of his claws. They were ticklish, but light enough not to break skin. It'd only be a matter of time before he wanted to have a go again and I wasn't sure I had to strength to continue.

I felt his head lift and I turned to look at him. His eyes, they were still red, but they were calm. Still full of lust, but gentle for some reason. He leaned down and gave me a soft kiss, licking my lips a little before pulling on my lower lip with his teeth. I moaned for him and felt him thrust his semi erect member inside me. I mewled for him as he thrusted a few more times, his member becoming bigger every time he pushed in until he was fucking me again. Not ready for another round or having the strength to fight back or even participate, I simply laid back and let him have his way with my body, but it didn't last long as we both came at the same time. After a bit of a reprieve, he rolled us onto our sides and held me close to his slick and sweaty body.

"Sleep…" he told me.

I looked at him warily and he nuzzled me, urging me to sleep. Not having the strength to argue, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep soon after.

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Come back to me soon oh God of Motivation! *crosses fingers*


	31. Chapter 31

Ah... my writing abilities have returned! Hurray! Whoo! Thought I was pulling a bit of Bleach there like Ichigo in the current arc. *smirk* ANYWAY... This chapter was hard to write as I've had it in my head for a while. It wasn't the idea that was hard, but finding the right words that was difficult. Well, I just decided to just go with it and suddenly this came out. Hurray! Now I can continue! Whee!

Thanks to all who've dealt with my stupidness so far and despite not really replying to your reviews, I have read them all (I LOVE YOUR REVIEWS! :3) and have taken a few of them into consideration, but for the most part, I've already planned the story out so I apologize if your suggestions don't appear in the story.

Ok, on to the story. There is a lemon (shameless of me, I know, but I love em so uber much! *evil chuckle*) so...yeah... Enjoy! (^_^)

.

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**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Thirty One**_

_By: PhoenixBlade_

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After spending a week in Sesshoumaru's room where I did nothing more than have sex with the lusty youkai in heat, I was ready to go kill something. Granted, the sex was exhilarating and full of passion, it was just as exhausting. Once his heat was over, Sesshoumaru took his office and began making orders again, sending youkai every which way and paying close attention to what the ningen and youkai had done in his…absence. Ningens had cut off some major supply routes from the south, a few of which I had let slip to Inuyasha and a few others just so happened to be nearby making it easy for the ningen to spot. Sesshoumaru didn't have to know that bit of info…considering he was throwing a hissy fit about it.

A fist came down hard on his desk, leaving a large crack, "I want all supply routes re-routed! No matter what, get those supplies in even if you have to carry it on your backs!"

His generals nodded in fear and began suggesting other routes quickly. Though the information was tempting to remember, I grew bored and… discontent with the talk of war. I wandered away from Sesshoumaru's side and returned to his room to put on one of his yukatas, as his room was closer than mine and I didn't want to venture any further to see any other youkai. The weather was warm and I had gotten use to wear lighter clothes because I was still somewhat… sore from his attentions this past week. I soon found myself in his gardens. It was peaceful here, serene and calm… as well as disengaged from the rest of the world. Here, I didn't have to be the Shikon no Miko. I didn't have to be a bloodthirsty assassin, a spy and a man-eating femme fatale. Here, I could simply be… Kagome.

I looked down as I walked to the middle of the small bridge over the koi pond. They were swarming to the surface, hoping that I had some food for them, but I had none. The water rippled as they swam around, making it hard to see myself… but then again, it had always been hard for me to see myself. Truly, who was Kagome? A girl who lost her home a youkai, one whom she supposedly hated and who bedded her night after night, making her beg for his endless attention to her body? Or was she a girl who hated her father for leaving her mother and her for a woman who couldn't even be his, thereby making them suffer the gossip and ridicule of the village people for years until Souta came along? Or perhaps she was the girl who hated ningen; yet found herself so entranced by their sheer will to live, to survive even when they enemies were powerful creatures with unearthly strength? Who was Kagome?

"Who…?" I whispered to no one in particular.

So deep in thought was I that I didn't notice Sesshoumaru was near until he wrapped his arms around me, twirling me around in his arms and nuzzling my neck.

"Who is it that you speak of?" he asked, purring slightly against my throat as he laved away at it.

I shivered and clutched onto his sleeve as his clawed hands moved to pull my legs up to wrap around his hips, undoing the ties around the yukata so my core was bare to his clothed one . I felt myself become wet as he rubbed his clothed erection against me. Though the week had been long and filled with intense love-making, I wasn't surprised that Sesshoumaru had some lingering traces of his heat still.

"I…" I began to say but hissed in pleasure as he sprang his erection loose and began rubbing it against me.

"Kagome…" he groaned against my collarbone and proceeded to leave little kisses along it.

"Please…" I moaned as I felt myself become wetter against his thick manhood.

"Please what?" he whispered as his lips sought out mine.

His tongue dove in and we began a tongue battle as we sought to dominate one another's mouth. I tore my mouth away to hiss in pleasure at one particularly hard thrust between my folds. His lips settle for my breast, licking and sucking.

"Please!..." I begged as my core began leaking more and more fluid onto his length and balls.

His thrusts became harder and faster, rubbing against my clit the right way, but not satisfying enough.

"Please…?" he continued for me… "Please… what?"

I moaned again at a hard thrust.

"Please… ugh… fuck me… please fuck me!" I begged as he nipped at one nipple.

Without a word, he moved me over his penis and rammed me down hard. I screamed as he set a fast and harsh pace. I was totally at his mercy, back arched, ready to fall except for Sesshoumaru strong hold on my hips and me clinging onto him for dear life. My fingers dug into his sleeves tightly as his thrusts increased and my thighs pressed tighter onto him as I felt myself come closer to climax. He continued suckling on my nipples, swirling his tongue around before sucking with a pop. I could feel the muscles in his thighs bunch up, telling me he was getting close.

I was vaguely aware of his wet balls slapping against my buttocks. I shuddered in pleasure at the feel of them and suddenly came hard with a scream. Sesshoumaru thrusted a few more times before threw his head back with a howl and pulled me down so hard onto his length that I swear I could have been stuck there. His seed came rushing into me in waves, seemingly never-ending as most of it spilled out down his balls and thighs. He pumped into me several times as he rode out the rest of his orgasm.

I was panting for air, barely clinging onto his sleeves and his hips. Were it not for his strong grip and that fact that he was still inside me, I would have fallen into the pond. After both of us had settled down, he pulled me off him. I winced in slight pain and sorrow at the feel of his length slipping out of me. We stood on the small bridge for a while, in what could be equated to momentary bliss. Sesshoumaru wrapped his arms around me, sniffing my hair and stroking my back. I shudder as a small breeze slipped through the open yukata, making me very aware of what had just transpired between us where anyone could see or hear us, especially with the evidence of it sliding down our legs.

Without a word, he slipped himself back in his hakama and moved to retie the yukata, but stopped.

"This yukata…" he began.

I nodded, "Is yours…"

He said nothing, perhaps he was angry? I moved to pull it off, but he stopped my arms and smirked, making me flush a little.

"I like it on you. It shows that you are mine."

Before, I would have glared at him and left, but for some reason it made me feel… content?

"I must return," he suddenly said and looked off towards where his office was, perhaps where his generals were still waiting for him, and then returned his gaze to me, "Wait for me in my room."

It was an order, one which I felt anticipation, almost giddy. He leaned down and gave me a soft kiss before he was gone. I stood there for a few minutes, taking in the gentle pressure and warmth of his lips against mine. Our kisses had always been harsh, full of passion and lust as we fucked, yet this was… chaste and light. It left a fluttery feeling in my stomach… but I huffed and brushed it off. I was like a stupid little girl again, not knowledgeable about the touch of the male species, yet curious.

Shaking my head at how ridiculous I was being, I walked back towards Sesshoumaru's rooms in silence. No youkai intercepted me in the hallway as the smell of Sesshoumaru warned them that I was his. They moved to the side and bowed in fear, knowing who I was and who owned me. As I drew closer to his room, I felt the presence of two familiar auras, hidden from youkai senses but not mine.

Opening the sliding door to his room, I was met with the bowed heads of Jakotsu and Bankotsu. Once I close the door behind me, both looked up.

"Kagome-dono, we apologize on behalf of our brothers for their wrong-doings to you. Punish us however you would like for we were stupid to not have seen their ill will towards you!" Bankotsu spoke, as if he were ready for his death sentence.

I was quiet, unsure how to go with this. As part of their group, it was their duty to watch how their brothers interacted with me. Renkotsu had hated me for killing off his brothers, that much was understandable. I had a feeling he would come after me, but I had not taken into account that he could sway Mukotsu's obsession with me to such heights. I had assumed that Mukotsu would carry his little crush on me to the grave, yet a miscalculation on my part almost costed me everything….

...Yet I didn't feel like punishing them. They would not have seen the deception in their brothers' eyes either. Bankotsu and Jakotsu were fearless killers, but they held such love for their brothers that they would have been blind to it all too.

My mind made up, I shook my head at them, "I will not punish you. Your brothers' faults are their own. Mukotsu is now dead, slain by Sesshoumaru and rotting in hell for all we know… As for Renkotsu…"

Though Renkotsu had sought to destroy me, he was their brother after all… It would not be fitting for me to give him a sentence. Even the Shichinintai had their own rules that they had to follow for their own members.

"Once you find him, I will let you deal with him however you will," I told them.

Both looked at one another for a second then back at me before they bowed their heads down.

"My lady, thank you!" they both cried in unison.

I sighed and nodded before walking over to some pillows to lay down… but the two remained where they were.

I raised an eyebrow, "Is there something else?"

Jakotsu looked up at me, "My lady, that man you told us to look for… we found him."

I was suddenly pulling Jakotsu off the floor by the collar roughly, anger coursing through me like a raging inferno. In that moment, they held fear in their eyes. The memories of that man came flooding in like a tsunami, flooding my entire being with the anger, hate and malice I held for him. Jakotsu gasped for breath as his collar choked him, but I didn't care.

I had forgotten him! Forgotten! How could I forget that bastard!

"Where? Where is he?" I snarled, "Tell me where that **damn _father_** of mine is!"

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Suggestion time! Ok... so while I was away on brain dead time, I was overloaded with Labyrinth fanfics. Yes! I'm not ashamed to admit it! I LOVE LABYRINTH! It's old and corny as heck, but I can't help loving it... and all the fanfics that popped out from it! lol If you're a lover of Jareth/Sarah smut-er I mean uh, that coupling, I'd highly suggest Just As I Can Be So Cruel by chemical-love here on fanfiction . net! Not only is it full of delicious smut, Sarah makes Jareth work hard for it too! Well... not in a good way. Basically, it starts off towards the end of the movie when she gets back home, but instead of basking in her victory, she gets whisked away back to the labyrinth, finds out that Toby isn't actually her brother and her step-mom isn't who she thought she was!... and Jareth is as cruel as he can be because he wants Sarah for his Queen. SOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD! *Yoda voice* READ IT YOU MUST! (by the way, did you know that Star Wars is now on blu-ray? Came out last week I think...) lol Although I have to admit, its a bit of a heavy read because the story is pretty dark but I would highly recommend it... just as long as you're of age. Sorry kiddies, it's M-rated so its a no-go for you, but next time, I'll suggest something not so M-rated... *sweatdrop*

By the way, if you've some questions for me, send me a pm. I love reading reviews and all, but I usually leave answering to them later and then I forget about them (I've got the memory span of a goldfish! It's not intentional!). Pm-ing me is the better choice cause I write back as soon as I see it. However, if its a spoiler you want, my lips are sealed.

ANYWAY *in a sing song voice* leave a review please! Thank-thank-thaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaank yooooooooooooooooooou !


	32. Chapter 32

Back again with another chapter of Snow Pearl. This chapter had me going a mile a minute. It's the confrontation between Kags and her dad. I was on a roll once I started writing and now, my back is aching because I've been laying down the whole time as I was writing it, so hopefully this will be to your liking at the expense of my sore back. lol Enjoy, all!

By the way, thanks to all who nominated Snow Pearl for best lemon for the 3rd quarter of the Dokuga awards. Makes me all smiley inside... even though what I feel right now is Kagome's bitterness and resentment inside. Anyway, read on!

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**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Thirty Two**_

_By: PhoenixBlade_

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_Take none into thy stone cold heart,_

_That which you have tossed away,_

_Thy shattered pieces of fragile woes,_

_Will turn on thee without delay._

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.

He had never been a good father, from as far as I could remember. As a little girl, I always wondered why he would stare off into the distance, towards where the capital, though I had not known that that was where his lover lived. To me, I had always assumed that he was merely reminiscing his days of battle. Yet it would not have been until later that I would find out that though he was probably thinking back on his days during the war, it was also with a certain _someone_ that he thought about _with_ those memories. Sadly, my father rarely, if not ever, shared those memories with us, as well as the rest of those in the village.

Our village was small, and for the most part, had been spared from The Great War's fury, but by being so, talks of the war had barely made its way to its inhabitants. Despite the war, the villagers went about their lives as they did every day, blatantly ignoring the rest of the world aside from the village itself. It was how they dealt with the world and how they wanted to keep out of its choking hold. It was the kind of life I grew up in, the kind that would destroy me later. For my father though, it was the kind of life that was suffocating him.

My mother would not speak much about my father's absence, only that he went to war for a long time and came back to marry her. Curiosity got the best of me, for I had wanted to know my father better, and I started asking around the village. Though the villagers kept quiet mostly, there were some diehard gossipers among them who would talk long stories into the night about my father.

My father was an only child and had been raised under strict parents, but he was a rebel and troublesome, but the girls in the village adored his bad boy attitude. My mother had been in love with him since they became of age and had been with him the longest before he walked out of his parents' home to join the war's efforts. He was tired of the country bumpkin life, wanting to do more than just farm. It wasn't until some soldiers who came to our village, injured and wounded, that he found his calling. The soldiers, while healing under the watchful eye of Kaede-sensei then, were taken in by my father's handiness with their swords and strength. He learned quickly from the moves they taught him and their commander wanted him to enlist. His parents refused. He snuck out the day after the soldiers left, to join them.

Although my mother had been his childhood sweetheart for the longest time, to the point where everyone assumed that she would marry him, he did not tell her that he would return for her, but she had assumed that he would and clung onto that belief until he returned. Eventually, his parents passed away from an illness that spread through the village. Many of the villagers passed away from it, but some fleeing from the war moved into the village, bringing the population back up a little, and with them, they brought stories of the war and my father's growing fame as one of the great heroes.

Word later reached the village that the war had finished, that the ningens won. My mother was ecstatic, believing that my father would return for her soon, but he never showed up. Word got around that he went missing soon after the wedding of two of the heroes. He was gone for a whole year before he showed up in the village one day, distant and brooding. It would take a little while longer before he finally consented to marrying my mother as the rest of the villagers pushed him to. I was conceived a year after.

Although I was his own flesh and blood, my father did not see me as his child. Though he would acknowledge it, never did I feel any fatherly warmth from him. I would try, but he would flinch or pull away from my hugs, or brush me off every time I spoke with him. His thoughts were never on my mother or me, or even in the village. It was always with…_her_. There were nights I woke to seeing my father at his desk, scribbling away furiously. Sometimes, he would pull out certain items he had brought back with him from the war and smile. Not once, had he smiled in our presence.

One day, while my parents were out, I snuck into my father's things and found his love letters to his beloved. I read them, some made me gagged at the sheer corniness of it all, and some made me blush at its rather descriptive wordings. All in all, I realized then that my father wasn't a troubled man trying to deal with life after the war; he was a heartbroken man still pining after his lost love. He had never once loved my mother. Perhaps he was merely playing with the idea of love with my mother when they were younger, but once he truly experienced it, he never let my mother back in. He treated her as a stranger. He treated me the same way.

Yet he stayed with us in the village, until one day that woman he loved and her husband came through. I had never seen his face brighten so, with one look at her face or the joy he had when she spoke with him. I snuck into the inn one day, following my father, as he went to talk to her and I found out about the child they had together, my older half-sister, Kikyo. The way he spoke about her to his love, of _their_ child, made me feel like the hated unwanted child. I knew then, he had never loved me, and never would because I wasn't _theirs_.

My father left us soon after they departed, believing that his love and he could once more be together like they had during the war. He left our house in a mad rush, with my mother in tears and me, screaming for him at the door. The villagers gossiped for days. My mother dealt with their talk as they abandoned us as my own father abandoned me. Who would want to mingle with a family with no man to lead them? To care for them? Who abandoned them? In their eyes, we were spoiled goods, damaged, good for nothing. We had failed as his family.

The villagers sneered at us in public, gossiped behind our backs and gave us the cold shoulder. Kaede had been the only one who treated us with warmth and kindness, but even my mother, too proud a woman was she, turned down her kindness. My mother soon became a shell of a woman, believing that my father would return to her, but days went by and still there was no sign that he would ever come back to us. She ignored everything bad said about him and punished me for speaking out against him. It had gotten to the point where even I was being treated the same way my father had treated me, a stranger.

Aside from Kaede at that point, our only light in the darkness came from my younger adopted brother, Souta. There were days my mother would wander out into the forest, sometimes gathering berries and herbs, and sometimes just so she could be by herself, but one day, she came back with a baby boy. He had only been about a year old, abandoned by his parents or perhaps they had been eaten by wild animals, we didn't know, but either way, Souta was our shining beacon of hope, that we could once again be a family.

The villagers didn't take too kindly on us taking in Souta, but Souta was too innocent and pure for the villagers to hate. Soon, he became the most adored baby in the village and our reputation as a destroyed family was soon mended. My father became nonexistent and the gossip that had hurt us before flew away with the wind, though there were few times it cropped back up, others would step in and dealt a heavy hand on those who spoke. Kaede took me in as her apprentice, as there was little hope for me to find a suitable husband when I would come of age, but Hojo, one of the village boys grew fond of me. He courted me for a short while, but it didn't last long before the youkai spread and killed the villagers, leaving me to deal with Sesshoumaru and soon, becoming the Shikon no Miko.

I never heard from my father again, nor did I ever think of him as much those last few years with the villagers, but Sesshoumaru's training brought back all that sadness that I bore deep inside me. Instead of sadness, it transformed into an all-consuming hatred of that man. Had he acted like how a proper father would, or had he never returned to my mother, I would have never been born to deal with all of this. Yet here I am, alive and _angry_, too angry to take my own life, but instead, I took the lives of others, soon to be Sesshoumaru's as well.

But now it was time to take his life, the life of my _father_…

.

* * *

.

…Yet the man who now lay in front of me was not worth taking his life.

I stared down at a living corpse, something that looked to be my father, but was _very_ sickly.

He coughed and turned hazy eyes towards me, "W-who's there? *cough, cough* who're you?"

I bit down on my lips to stop from speaking out at him. That burning fire of hatred within me burned even more. Though the aging woman that had been caring for him had told me that his eyesight was going, he could still make out shapes and even see facial features if he focused enough. I was hoping he could see enough to recognize me, the daughter he had abandoned.

I clenched my jaws and dug my nails into the sweaty palms of my shaking hand. My other hand gripped tightly onto the hilt of my sword, almost rubbing my skin raw. I couldn't stop myself from shaking. Here he was, the man who I hated above all else…and he was on his deathbed! I wanted to make him suffer, have him know my fury and understand how it was like to have him abandon his family! I wanted him begging for forgiveness, of which I would not accept. I wanted him bloody and screaming out in pain!... but this man… was not even worth all the trouble of finding him! Not like this, I didn't want him like this! I wanted him healthy so he would know pain like no other!

I gnashed my teeth together and held back a growl of rage. With him this weak, I couldn't do anything to him at all, except in sending him to an early grave, of which I knew, would be more of a favor to him than out of cruelty! It was useless in killing him at this point!

"My lady…" Bankotsu spoke up quietly behind me.

My hand from my sword quickly shot up to silence him.

The living corpse of my father coughed again as he tried sitting up. I saw a speckle of blood taint the white blankets on him in red. He didn't have long to live, that I knew. Not very long at all.

"I ask again… *cough* who are you?" he wheezed as he got up to a pathetic sitting position, "do I *cough cough* know you?"

Where to start? Should I tell him who I was? Tell him that I was the daughter he abandoned for a woman he could never have? That I was here to act out some childish act of revenge on him for making my life a miserable hell? That I wanted to make him suffer for all the pain in my life, but couldn't because he was on the very verge of death? Where to start indeed!

"Once…" I started, feeling my lips chapped and dry.

I saw my father still and listen. Bankotsu looked at me, but said nothing.

I licked my lips, tasting blood from biting my lips earlier, and tried again, trembling still with ire.

"Once upon a time… there lived a man who became one of the great heroes of the Great War," I started again, feeling him wince at it, "along with the other three heroes, they stopped the evil man who sought to make the world his and saved everyone. Everyone was happy...or so they thought."

Bankotsu turned away. My father said nothing. I continued.

"What no one knew was that the man was in love with one of the great heroes, but on her wedding night to another man, she slept with the hero and bore a child nine months later," I said.

His faces shot up and looked towards me, eyes unseeing, but hope blooming on his face.

"K-Kikyo!" he exclaimed, happiness and hope lacing the edges.

I scowled. He thought I was her!

I sneered at him, "But the man didn't know that and wandered for a long time before he returned to his hometown and married his childhood sweetheart, who he didn't love, who bore him a daughter that he never wanted."

The look on his face fell as confusion appeared on his face.

"In all her years, the little girl never once felt any fatherly warmth from him, nor was he ever a good husband to his wife. He kept on dreaming, _hoping_ that one day he could be with the love of his life even though she was married to another man. When he saw her again, he ran after her like a lovesick puppy, _abandoning_ his own family!"

Realization started to set in on his face as more malice sunk into my every word.

"And so his family lived in humiliation and resentment by the villagers, barely making a living on what they could make by themselves. They eventually took in an orphan boy, who made their lives a little bit better and the girl thought she could finally forget about the father who made their family miserable…but their short happy life was brought to a halt by youkai, who ravaged the village and killed everyone… and raped the girl who knew no better."

Horror and guilt filled the man's face. His mouth opened as if to speak, but I stopped him.

"She was constantly raped for many years by the head youkai, but it didn't end there. He decided to make her his pawn and forced her into brutal training, making her hate the world, especially the loveless father who brought her into it. Eventually, the girl became the Shikon no Tama, or the Shikon no Miko, however you look at it."

His teeth suddenly came together as horror lined his face now.

"Y-you! You are… the Sh-shikon! Th-that murderous c-creature that k-kills nin-ningens? How c-could you-"

"She had no choice!" I screamed, tears welling up in my eyes, "she had nothing to live for, except for revenge! Don't you understand, you stupid man! She had been humiliated, punished for her father's stupid misgivings, was given the smallest taste of happiness before it was snuffed out and replaced by the face of a youkai who raped her every night! I was forced to become strong because the other youkai tried to rape me and tortured me constantly! I had to become stronger to protect myself, to kill or be killed! I was pushed into this position _because_ of you!"

He began stammering breathlessly, "K-Kagome! I never-*cough cough*-I n-never m-meant to h-hurt you! I-"

"The sword has been swung and the wounds have been dealt!" I snapped at him, "You were a pitiful excuse for a father and should have died a long time ago, but for some miraculous reason, you survived… Those bandits should have killed you."

The lady, Nita was her name, had found him halfway to the capital, on the verge of death. She took care of him and brought her home with him to a fishing village as he couldn't even remember who he was due to the injuries given onto him by his robbers. It took him a while, but he began to remember who he was, but by then, he was too weak to go anywhere or do anything. Although he lived, his injuries were now catching up to him. He wouldn't have long to live now.

"Kagome, I'm s-sorry I c-couldn't *wheeze* be a better f-father… b-but if I h-had-*cough*- if I had the c-chance, I would h-have-"

"Enough, old man!" I snarled with tears falling down my face now.

Bankotsu jumped at the sound of my voice and my father went into a fit of coughs, choking up blood onto the bed sheets. I was tired of listening to his excuses. Excuses could not turn back time. I was too infuriated by the fool to even listen to him now.

"I came here to seek revenge on you, but even that's taken from me now!" I scowled and paused to breathe in deeply, "…but all is not lost."

He stopped coughing and turned his hazy eyes back at me, unsure of where I was going with this.

I wiped away my tears and spoke in the calmest voice that I could muster, "I will make sure Kikyo screams out in pain when I cut her limb from limb, knowing that it was her own _father_ who brought that same pain upon her."

Horror spread across his face and he was suddenly reaching for me, begging me to turn back, "N-no! You mustn't! K-Kagome! She's your s-sister! Don't h-hurt her! She hasn't d-done anything t-to you! Hurt m-me, k-kill m-m-me! D-do what you w-want, b-but d-don't hurt her!"

He fell on the floor and crawled over to my feet, grasping onto my pant leg and still begging. I scowled and kicked him in the stomach, sending him flying back into the side of the bed. His crumpled form fell to the ground and he was wheezing and coughing out blood all over the floor. I frowned at him.

"Pitiful," I spat at him.

"My lady?" Bankotsu spoke up, reminding me that he was still in the room, "what would you have me do?"

I glared down at the withering form of my father, before turning to Bankotsu, "Drag his sorry carcass to Naraku's dungeon. Keep him alive. I need him around to hear me make his love child suffer and screaming out in agony."

"N-no! K-Kikyo!" he coughed from the ground and I kicked him again.

"Keep doing that, and he won't live long," Bankotsu told me and I frowned at him before turning to leave.

Opening the door, I heard that sorry excuse of a father calling for me.

"K-Kagome! Don't do it! Don't let y-your heart b-be consumed b-by anger!" he cried out.

For some reason, I felt the tiniest bit of guilt, but it was quickly extinguished once he said his next words.

"Don't h-hurt _our_ d-daughter! P-please!" he begged.

I felt the rage come back in full force as the guilt was smothered back into nothingness. In the end, he was still thinking of _her_, the woman he loved but could never have.

"You're of no use to me dead, old man. I need you alive," I hissed and slammed the door closed behind me as he cried out.

As I was leaving the house, the woman, Nita, approached me. She was an aged woman, about my mother's age had she still been alive. She was nothing to look at, what with her dirty face and her hands smelling like fish. A couple of sea gulls flew over us. I tasted salt in my mouth from the air.

"Ano… Is… is your f-father alright?" she asked in a quiet voice, somewhat fearful, though of what, I didn't know.

I gave her a long good look and knew instantly.

"You're in love with him," I almost spat out.

She blushed and began stammering out apologies, that she hadn't meant to fall in love with him, but since she was a widow and childless and all, she enjoyed his company; he made her life more fulfilling, etc., etc. I didn't care.

"W-will you be taking him back with you?" she asked, panicking a little.

The woman was panicking. If anything, she should have been panicking because the Shikon no Miko was right in front of her with one of the Shichinintai in the house with her supposed lover and another hidden somewhere nearby and watching. The smell of the sea was becoming somewhat bothersome for me. I wanted to leave this blasted place!

"I'm sorry, but I'm just so used to him being around and… and…," she stumbled before her head fell and started crying, "Please! Please don't take him from me!"

Pitiful. Absolutely pitiful. What was wrong with all these women who had fallen so low for that stupid fool who was my father?

I suddenly reached out my hand and patted her lightly on the head. She sniffed and looked up with tears on her face. I suddenly smiled at her, gently and calming.

"I promise I won't take him from you…" I told her as serenely as possible.

She sniffed again and smiled back at me happily.

Just as quickly as the smile came, I suddenly frowned at her, taking her back by surprise, "But I can't say the same about you."

She gave me a quizzical look before a splash of blood hit my face and her headless body fell to the ground in a slump, revealing Jakotsu behind her. There was a maniacal look on his face and a bloody sword in his hands. I looked down at her head as it stopped rolling. An expression of pain and her mouth, opened to an empty cry, looked back at me. I merely turned away and began wiping my face with a towel that Jakotsu had procured for me.

Jakotsu started looking around at the flabbergasted and disgusted onlookers as I was cleaning my face. Some began screaming and shouting. Some ran away and some started charging towards us. He smirked as he licked away a drop of blood from his finger.

"Orders?" Jakotsu asked with amusement in his voice.

Wiping my neck, I began pulling out my sword as I walked away.

"Kill them all. Leave none alive."

I heard a giggle before screams pierced the sea-salt air.

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It was hard, I must admit, to write down and still try to capture all the anger that Kagome has for her father. I've been angry at my dad, but not so much like Kagome has so it's hard. Anyway, thanks for reading. Review?

By the way, the reading suggestion for this time around is... _The Hunger Games_ by Suzanne Collins! Its a story taking part in a post-apocalyptic future where the government holds power over the country and demands a boy and girl from each area to forcibly participate in a televised reality tv show where you kill all the other participants. The goal of the game? You survive, you win. I was introduced to the book by a coworker and I sped through all three books like there was no tomorrow and I gotta say, out of the many books that I've ever read, this is one of the few series out there that had an ending that I was content with. I believe there's a movie coming out for it sometime next year and I'm hoping it'll be good because most books-turned-movie make me wanna gag... well... I liked the Lord of the Rings movies pretty ok...and Harry Potter was alright... Anyway, it's a good read, so pick up a book today at your local library or bookstore and you'll get hooked!

Till next time!


	33. Chapter 33

Hey all. I deeply and humbly apologize for the long delay in updating. As I stated in my profile, if any have ventured to read it, my updates will be sporadic and time will tell when I can update or not. I've had a very tiring and...disappointing time since my last update involving: work, stupid associate harassing my sister and I and getting away with it, stupid managers who won't/don't do anything, and parents with their familial expectations and crazy demands. It's been chaotic and I've been very, **_VERY_ **angry since then (still angry now, but I'm using it to boost up on writing out Kagome's anger) and haven't been able to write a good enough chapter to put up. I'm a bit calmed down now and I know I've been cruel to you guys for not updating, so here I am with the next one! (a bit short so I do again apologize for this!)

Also, to those who nominated Snow Pearl for best Lemon Fic for the Dokuga awards for the last quarter of last year, thank you so much for doing so! I may not have won, but I sure am glad you like my story (and its lemons) enough to get it nominated! Thank you again!

It's more of a filler chapter with _some_ progress into the story. I hope its good enough for now. Please do enjoy!

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**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Thirty Three**_

_By: PhoenixBlade_

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It is said, that if a sinner wanted to be forgiven, he would have to pray hard to the gods for forgiveness and atone for his sins for the rest of his life. If his good deeds and prayers were enough, then the gods would allow him to pass on quietly and well into the afterlife. Such are the goals of those who follow the will of the gods and seek the gods' favor, all to make up for the misdeeds they had committed. Such a story is befitting of any sinner who has redeemed himself and become a man or woman for the greater good… Yet the story forgotten is that of the victim. What then, happens to the one who was preyed upon by the former sinner?

A sinner may seek atonement for his misdeeds and be granted it by the gods… but what does his former victim seek from the gods when they do nothing to punish the one who committed the vice? Would they wallow in pain and misery for the rest of their pathetic lives? Give into death to be released from the pain? Or would they do something other, in which turns the victim into a sinner themselves?...

…In such a case, one would have no other choice but to seek the wrong-doer and repay them back in _full_…

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"It is imperative that only General Inuyasha or Lord Miroku sees this," I told the young man as I handed a package to him.

He grabbed it and bowed to me from atop his horse before he rode away on his horse. I watched him ride past the town's gates.

"Is it wise for you to leave such confidential information in the hands of one man?" came the voice of Bankotsu, "it was only yesterday that you found him a pitiful drunk barely hanging onto his own life."

He came up beside me as I watched the horseman disappear.

"He will not fail," I told him with confidence.

"You sound so confident, my lady," he stated, not so confident of me, "maps of youkai supply routes are not something to be trusted in the hands of a man and his horse."

I remained silent for a few moments before I answered, "Bankotsu, do you remember that sea town?"

"Ah? The one where we…found your father?" he replied warily.

After finding my father withering away in a quaint sea town, I gave the two Shichinintai orders to kill everyone in the town. They enjoyed the mass murder and mayhem, and promptly covered it up as the work of youkai. Aside from my father, who was wallowing away in the dark dungeons of Naraku's mansion, they left no stone unturned and no one alive. Several weeks had passed since then.

I turned around and began walking towards the stables to retrieve the horse I had recently bought. Bankotsu followed me but said nothing, though his question from earlier still lingered in the air.

"That man's family was from that same town," I finally answered him when we reached the stables, "he sobered up rather quickly after I…had a _talk_ with him about it last night...as well as _who_ was to blame..."

Bankotsu stopped at the entrance as I walked over to my horse to prepare him for travel. His silence made me look up. A look of surprise was on his face before something clicked and he began chuckling.

"Oh, you are _smart_, my lady!" he bellowed and let loose a loud laugh, "even I would become an all-youkai-hating bastard at your word."

I humph'ed and returned to tying the straps of the saddle onto my horse.

"I wondered why the town gossip seemed so interesting to you, just as much as talking to that drunkard…" he continued chuckling, "I should have known..."

Finishing with the last one, I led the horse out as Bankotsu moved out of the way.

"Your orders, my lady?"

I jumped into the saddle, and exhaled loudly before turning to him, "I want you to follow that man. Before he reaches Inuyasha, I want you to attack him."

"Attack? Not…kill?" he asked, slightly curious at my orders.

I scowled at him, "Yes. _Attack_. I need him alive to deliver the message to Inuyasha, but make sure you wound him enough so that he will die once he reaches Inuyasha. Also, make sure you make it look like youkai attacked him."

Bankotsu was silent for while before he spoke again, "What are you planning, my lady?"

There was something akin to worry in his voice, what kind of worry it was, I didn't know, nor did I care to know.

"Do not ask me questions, Bankotsu," I scowled at him.

He backed away and bowed his head in shame. He had crossed me, of which he shouldn't have.

"I am sorry, Kagome-sama…" he murmured.

There was another silence between us. Then, a thought ran through my head. Why was it that he hadn't left my side yet? He had been following me constantly lately, to the point where it got just a bit annoying. A shadow may follow you everywhere you go, but it doesn't speak. Right now, I didn't want him to bother me so much.

Looking down harshly at him, I snapped at him, "Has Naraku no need of you? You've done nothing but follow me since capturing that foolish father of mine!"

His head shot up in defense and shook his head, "N-no, my lady! We've received no summons from Naraku-sama."

I scoffed, "What has him so occupied that he would forget his own henchmen?"

Bankotsu merely shrugged, "I don't know, but I do know that he has my brother Suikotsu on a mission. I still have no word on his whereabouts."

I looked away for a second, lost in my thoughts concerning Naraku before I thought of Jakotsu.

"What of Jakotsu? Has he brought my stupid father to Naraku's dungeons?"

He nodded, "Yes, however, as of the moment, he is under my command to search for our brother, Renkotsu."

I set my lips to a grim line as I thought of him.

I had almost gotten raped by that his interference. After convincing Mukotsu to take me, he had fled from his brothers with revenge, against me, at the top of his list. I wouldn't be surprised if he was somewhere in town spying on me, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike.

"Would my lady still prefer we administer our own form of punishment on him?... Or would you prefer to do the honors?" Bankotsu asked cautiously, aware that upon finding my father, I had become angrier and needed to take my anger out on something, or _someone_. He also held deep sorrow in his voice, because he had to kill the man who had sworn to be his brother and to never betray him.

I gripped onto the reins and looked towards the exit. Honestly, Renkotsu was not at the top of my list of people who needed to be dealt with, even though he had a hand in Mukotsu taking me away, and had wanted me dead… but so did many others.

"You know what is required of you once you find him. Do what you will in however way you see fit," I told him, just before I kicked the horse, and off we went.

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"Kagome!"

Sango collided into me and gave me a bear crushing hug. I flinched at first, but allowed the moment to seize me and I laughed happily, playing along. Due to it being evening and dark, no one noticed my slight hesitation.

"We thought you were dead!" she cried out in tears.

I hugged her back to assuage her, "As you can see, I'm alive!"

After leaving Bankotsu, I received word from him days later of his attack on the messenger, who he watched giving the parcel to Inuyasha just before he died. He gave me the location of Inuyasha's troop, where Sango and Miroku were stationed at as well. From the battlefield that Bankotsu had seen a few days away from the village they had just saved from devastation, they had succeeded in eliminating the youkai assassins that had been heading for the capital. I headed over to where they were (after meeting up with a few youkai soldiers to pass on some information about the ningens), showing that I had somehow miraculously survived the whole ordeal with Onigumo, of which they had gotten word of and had feared the worst for me.

Miroku cleared his throat and Sango pulled away, "Kagome-dono! We are elated to see that you have returned to us, safe and sound!"

He leaned forward to give me a hug, but Sango punched him just as his hand reached for my behind.

"Baka!" she yelled at him.

Some of the soldiers around us laughed at their crazy, love antics. I hid a smile. No good would come of this if I played along too much… or got too involved with them again.

"KAGOME!"

I turned to see a panting Inuyasha, in his signature red outfit, without his armor and barefoot. He seemed to left someplace comfortable and had raced on over to come see me. I started to bow to him and began saying something, but he pulled me into an embrace, making it seem far more intimate than a friendly hug between friends.

"Thank goodness you're safe!" he cried out.

I was about to pull away, but noticed someone leaving one of the houses, presumably the healer's house as it was large and I sensed healing magic from there. Forming an idea, I clung to him more and nuzzled my face into his neck.

"Inuyasha-sama, I've come back to you…" I told him, loud enough so that the healer woman would hear.

I felt his skin grow hot as his soldiers joked that he shouldn't be playing around with other women since his fiancée was nearby. Said fiancée looked on, emotionless and uncaring… or so she tried to make it seem. Inuyasha had immediately let go of me and stammered away, defending himself to his soldiers who laughed at his boyish ranting. I laughed along and watched his fiancée from the corner of my eye. Kikyou turned away sharply and something small reflected off the light of a torch nearby, a small glint too small to be noticed by any passerby…but I knew a tear shed when I saw one.

The lady was _jealous_ and I smirked within.

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I think... I need to stop ranting. ;p Anyway, just for some shameless self-promotion, read my fic _Surrender_. It's based off on one of Gaiaonline's items, so obviously it's not a Sess/Kag fic, but _hopefully_ it'll hold you off until I get the next chapter up and running! Here's the summary for it, short and crappy:

"With the battle lost, the White Queen faces the Black King... and his terms of her surrender. Based off of Gaiaonline's EI, Checkmate."

Rate T for teens... so don't expect any heavy loving!(maybe later though, haven't decided on it yet) lol Until then, my pretties! Ja! ;)


	34. Chapter 34

Haro! Haro! I come back long long time! *hesitant laugh* It has been a while, but I finally got around to getting the next chapter done after all the moving to a different place and other miscellaneous family problems I've gotten into. Also, it seems that while I was away, fanfiction dot net has been...weeding out our good M-rated authors of lemons and whatnot? Man, wtf? Where am I going to get my smut stories! Argh... Anyway, just for you guys, I will continue to post here until they give me the boot. If and when they finally do, you will find me on Dokuga with my Kag/Sess fics, as well as Adultfanfiction dot Net, which will also store any other M-rated stories that I have here. My pen name will still stay the same so look for me there (but there's nothing uploaded there yet). Till then, happy readings!

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**Snow Pearl**

_**Chapter Thirty Four**_

_By: PhoenixBlade_

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I watched as the arrow I sent flying lodged itself into the youkai's neck. It gurgled, grasping into the air as if trying to cling onto life, and then fell to the ground dead.

"Thirty…" I counted, and gripped onto the bell around my neck.

The bell, of which I assumed had been lost during my fight with Sesshoumaru's dead ex-wife, had been returned to me by Bankotsu when I last saw him, who had found it. Where he found it, he didn't tell me.

I walked a ways ahead of me and notched an arrow. Right as I walked over what seemed to be a corpse, I quickly pulled the arrow down and shot the youkai dead between the eyes. His claws were barely an inch away from my neck before he slumped to the ground fully dead.

"Thirty one…"

After meeting up with Inuyasha and his army, I told them of how I had "escaped" Onigumo. Of how, when they were attacked by a group of youkai (which was not necessarily untrue as the Shinigami had been youkai at some point of their lives and still were in a way), I had made my escape. Even Onigumo had not been spared. The Shinigami had no more use of him and disposed of him in the way they knew best, by eating him. Of course, they left behind very detailed evidence that youkai had raided the hideout and had taken every person out. As horrific as it had been for Inuyasha and the others to have found the bits and pieces of Onigumo's people splattered all over the walls and ground, they were finally able to write off Onigumo as a priority since he was now dead by whatever was left of him that they found anyway.

Now, we were headed towards the Holy Order but as we neared, what seemed like a battalion of youkai, of who were highly trained and actually gave me a run for my money, swarmed us and we all fought like our lives depended on it… Well, Inuyasha's people did anyway, many of who were felled by the first wave. I summoned my powers and obliterated the next three waves of youkai while Inuyasha's men recovered enough to push the other youkai back. Right now, I was by myself, killing any youkai that remained. I let go of the bell to grab an arrow and stab it into another youkai that had appeared behind me. It grabbed onto my sleeve with bloody claws. Annoyed, I tore the arrow out and it whimpered at the pain before falling to the floor dead.

"Thirty two," I hummed as I notched another arrow and pulled.

Another youkai jumped at me and I turned quickly, let go of the arrow and it dug itself into the youkai's arm. It howled at the pain as it continued falling towards me. Summoning my powers, I threw my fist into its gut, purifying it through my clenched hand and it evaporated into thin air.

"Thirty three-" I began to say, but someone familiar caught my eye.

"Shikon! You have betrayed our lord!" a blue haired youkai, looking to be somewhat high-ranking, came stumbling at me with a large sword in one hand, the other hand cut off, a missing eye and blood all over him.

"You are…" I raised an eyebrow, trying to remember who he was.

"Ryura of the Four War Gods!" he snarled at me, proud of who he was and yet angry that a mere ningen, such as I, would forget him.

Ryura? Ah, I remembered him, as well as his group. There were four of them total and were quite exceptional fighters. Sesshoumaru had come across them on some distant island that had once been habited by hanyou, where they claimed to be gods. He defeated them without batting an eyelash and let them live if they would pledge their loyalties to him, of which they did. Despite being defeated by Sesshoumaru, they proved their prowess in battle and truly did earn the name the Four War Gods, complete with their own army to command. Unfortunately for them though, this battle would be there last.

"You fucking whore! You killed my brothers and my men! You betray our lord Sesshoumaru with these-these _ningens_!" he spat, "I knew you were bad news from the very beginning! Traitor! I should have killed you!"

I scoffed at him, "And yet you didn't. You _tried_, and you **failed**."

The Four War Gods had been one of the first youkai to try to kill me, but by sheer luck, I had defeated them.

He howled in fury and flew right at me with lightning speed. Raising my hand forward, I summoned my power just in time for Ryura to slam into a wall of purifying energy and disintegrate inch by inch into it.

"You damned bitch! Curse you! CURSE YOU! I'll be waiting for you in hell!" he screamed as he turned to dust.

His screams faded away with the wind.

" …Thirty four," I muttered to no one in particular.

Ryura would have to get in line when he got to hell. He wasn't the first to tell me that, and he definitely wouldn't be the last.

A loud, agonizing howl in the distance caught my attention, followed by something humongous falling and sending up clouds of dust into the air. With no more enemies for me to take care of, I ran towards there and was met with the huge armored body of what was once Gora, the enormous tortoise youkai of the Four War Gods.

"That was *wheeze* a close *pant* one!"

I turned to see Sango leaning over with her hands on her knees, panting for breath. Blood and bits of gore were splattered all over her tajiya outfit. It suited her occupation, but not her caring personality.

Looking all around, I saw wounded soldiers standing and bodies of the dead littered all over the ground, having survived the attack and the ordeal with the large youkai. Inuyasha was holding up an equally bloody Miroku who was trying to talk on the other side of the big youkai's body.

"Did we…*pant* get him?" wheezed Sango.

I examined the limp body of the huge tortoise and confirmed that he was in fact, dead. Turning to her, I nodded. She exhaled loudly and fell to the ground, glad to be rid of the great beast. I was going to walk over to where Inuyasha and Miroku were limping to, but was stopped by the sounds of sobbing where Sango was at. She was… crying?

I stood over her for a bit, unsure of what I had to do next. I didn't want to get on the ground because my joints were sore and my body ached, but I was still the "nice girl" that everyone here knew. Deciding against the pain, I got down to the ground and after a bit of hesitation, I hugged her sobbing form.

"I thought *sobs* I thought I was going to die, Kagome-chan!"

I patted her back as she continued crying. Some soldiers nearby looked away from the scene, afraid that they would burst out in tears as well. As much as I loathed ningens as I did youkai, I have to say, I was quite impressed that they had gotten as far as they did and were still alive.

"Oy!" came the voice of Inuyasha.

Everyone turned to see him, sans Miroku, standing on the tortoise's body. Sango wiped her eyes and I helped her stand up.

"We lost a lot of guys today, but we can't stop here! We gotta get moving to the Holy Order as soon as possible, before night falls!" he told us all.

"But what about the dead?" asked one of the soldiers, "we should bury them at least!"

He shook his head, "I wanna do that as much as you, but we can't afford the time to do that!"

Another soldier spoke up, "Why not! They deserve to be buried! They fought hard and died! We should give our dead comrades a proper burial!"

Some soldiers joined in too, but Miroku spoke up from where he sat by a tree.

"If you want to be a meal for the lesser youkai when darkness falls, then be our guest! There's enough food here for them to feast on and I'm pretty sure they wouldn't mind having a little extra meat on the side," he told them all, "Aside from the lesser youkai, for all we know, there may be another battalion a day's ride away and we would be perfect sitting targets for them to dig their claws into."

That shut them up.

"I know… I know you wanna bury them all and believe me, I wanna bury them too… but I can't have you guys dying on me either!" Inuyasha told them.

"Inuyasha."

Everyone turned to see Kikyou helping a soldier on the ground and she turned to Inuyasha.

"We may not be able to bury the bodies, but at least I can lay their souls to rest," she told him.

He was hesitant for a second. "Can you make it short?"

Kikyou was quiet for a moment and looked my way, "If I can have her help me, we can make it quick."

Inuyasha jumped down and came towards me, "Kagome, can you help? I know this wasn't supposed to be your battle and we're asking a lot out of you lately, but-"

I rose my hand to stop him, "Enough, Inuyasha. It is a miko's duty to send off the souls of the dead. Also, it would shameful of me if I did not honor the dead by doing so."

He shut his mouth and nodded as I walked past him to where Kikyou was. She looked at me, as emotionless as she could be, but her eyes told all. She really didn't like me, and I could tell because I was a master at reading people's eyes due to the many years with Sesshoumaru. Plus, I had been egging her on with stolen moments with Inuyasha. Though petty it may have been, it helped to quench the rage I felt every time I looked at her and thought of my stupid father as he rotted away in Naraku's dungeons.

I moved to stand behind her and looked out at one end of the battlefield as she looked at the other.

"I do not like you," Kikyou spoke loud enough for me to hear, "but this is for the people who have died. As mikos, we must carry out our duties."

"Hn."

How very Sesshoumaru-like I sounded.

"…Do not dally with Inuyasha any longer." A warning.

I smirked and moved forward to begin the soul sending rites.

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* * *

.

I led one of the remaining horses that held a makeshift sleigh for the wounded soldiers to lie on. The send-off had been quick, but sorrowful as the soldiers could not help but cry as our voices joined in the lamenting song of the soul send-off. Even Inuyasha cried, but jumped away into a tree to hide his tears. Now, we were making headway to the Holy Order with less than half the number Inuyasha had first set out with from the capital. It was very depressing, but the numbers be damned, Inuyasha was what mattered. He needed to survive and I needed to be nearby to make sure he would do so or my plans would all fall apart!

"General! We've spotted the town!" the head scout informed Inuyasha.

Inuyasha nodded at him, "Good! Have one of your men go ahead to tell them that we're here!"

The head scout hesitated for a bit, "About that sir, there is a problem…"

This caught everyone's attention and they feared the worse.

"What? What is it!" Inuyasha growled at him.

"I already sent one of my men ahead…"

He hesitated again and Inuyasha grabbed him, snarling, "What. Is. It?"

He was agitated, tired and sore. It was no wonder that his youkai side was acting up. Kikyou placed a hand on him arm and spoke a few words to him before he let go of the head scout. He scoffed and mumbled an apology as he let the soldier go. The head scout exhaled and stood firm in front of Inuyasha like the soldier he was supposed to be and forgot he was.

"Sir, the town… it's been decimated! Bodies littered the floor of not just ningens but youkai as well!"

At that moment, everyone's hearts must have stopped, for all was quiet before Inuyasha's ear splitting scream.

'WHAT!"

Sesshoumaru knew about the Holy Order, and had probably carried out orders to get rid of the natural enemy of youkai; the mikos and priests. With them out of the way, his soldiers would have no need to fear their holy purifying power. This would prove to be a problem as I needed them to take down the numbers in Sesshoumaru's army.

Screams and cries filled the air as terror and hopelessness spread throughout the ranks. This would prove to be a problem. With the lesser youkai partaking in a huge meal where the battlefield had been at, it would only be a matter of time before their appetite would send them our way. I only had enough energy to get rid of some of them and to keep Inuyasha and a few alive. Getting away was another problem altogether.

Before I could think any further, I felt the reiki of several powerful people coming our way. Kikyou and Miroku, along with Inuyasha, looked towards where they were coming and soon, three people appeared before our group, three _monks_.

"S-sensei!" Kikyou blurted out.

The head monk took off his straw cone hat and smiled warmly at Kikyou. He was elderly man with a calming aura about him.

"Konbanwa, Kikyou-chan. I trust you are doing well?" he nodded to her and turned to Inuyasha, "And you are… General Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha, mouth gaping open, nodded, "Y-you're alive! We thought you were all dead!"

There was a light chuckle coming from the elderly man, "We would have all been, but I believe luck was on our side today. Come, we must not tarry, for the youkai are very hungry this night with so much food lying about. I would not wish to see us as dessert for them."

Without a second word, we all followed.

The Holy Order survived, I thought to myself as I stared ahead at the three monks, and with that, Sesshoumaru, your life is _forfeit_.

.

* * *

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Suggestions, suggestions, suggestions... Ah... If you're into the Narnia universe and you're a particular fan of Susan and Caspian (from the movie), I really recommend _**Buried Queens**_ by **Shiegra**. It starts out at the end of the book series, Susan is all that's left of the Pevensies and left alone in London, but all that changes when she finds herself back in Narnia, a _very_ different Narnia where she is captured by a darker Caspian who does not know her and is fighting Miraz, who is still alive, to take back his crown. All while this is happening, there is another enemy afoot... Unfortunately the author hasn't updated in a while, not since the beginning of this year, but give it a read anyway, it's REALLY WORTH IT!

Until then!


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